The Original Good Time Girl
by FanLass
Summary: Renegade Watchers are killing immortals someone has to stop the killing before its too late. Only Joe Methos Connor and Gwen with the watchers can save the day. Come along and join the Adventure and Romance of the 2nd Methos Joe Gwen and Connor story!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:**** Methos, Joe, Duncan, Connor Macleod and some of the watchers are the property of Davis-Panzer Productions. Gwen MacQueen and her assorted bunch of side kicks are mine. **

**I want to thank my beta reader ****R.J. Bingham without his help I would never get this story out to you all.**

**This is the second story in a trilogy I have written the first being "**_**Methos' Passion**_**"this story is called the "**_**Original Good Time Girl**__**"**_** and takes place almost one year later after **_**"Methos' Passion"**_** ends. Renegade Watchers are killing immortals and Joe Methos ****Connor**** and Gwen have to stop the killing before its too late. Its another huge mess, that only our favorite highlander characters can solve along with asorted cast of watchers. So come sharpen your blades and enjoy the action and romance. Sparks are sure to fly when ever Gwen MacQueen Joe and Methos are in the same room! Please feel free to commet I love feed back! **

**This story takes place between "**_**Through a Glass, Darkly**_**" and "**_**Judgement Day**_**" season four highlander. Since "**_**One Minute to Midnight**_**" was aired in September 1996 and Alexa died April 25 1996, I felt I had some wiggle room; I placed this story in June of 1996. Dana Brook is named in the watcher chronicles CD as Connor Macleod's watcher.**

**Chapter one **

**Intimate Positions**

There was barely a breeze blowing over Mills Lake that night in June. The water was as still and smooth as glass, when suddenly the tranquility was broken. Lightening suddenly appeared from a cloudless sky. An electrical forces raged from out from the body of the now headless girl lying on the beach, it enveloped the nearest Immortal; Gwen. She cried out as if in pain as the power of the Quickening encircled her in it grip. Gwen did not earn this Quickening but received it only because she stood only a few feet from Michelle, as a mortal woman swung a sword and with all her strength beheaded the young Immortal.

From a distance a young blond hared blue eyed man heard the shouts and watched, stunned, unable to stop the drama that was playing out before him. _(**No! This can't be happening if only I had a way to stop this. I know it against our direct orders but I have to do something!** ) _Luke thought as he walked closer to the beach where the execution had just taken place. He dialed 911 on his cell phone.

"Hello 911 operator, YES! There is a murder taking place on Mills Beach." Luke quickly spoke at the operator, his voice shaking and then he hung up. OK he wasn't doing much, but just maybe now the sheriffs would send someone down here and prevent the watchers on the beach from killing Gwen too. He picked up his binoculars and saw, that the force of the Quickening had burned off Gwen's ropes that bound her hand and feet. She bolted in to the surrounding woods, and disappeared in to the dark forest of the state park. Luke heard gunshots and then thankfully finally sirens. _(**I just hope that what ever gods you pray too, are with you today my friend. Poor Michelle, she never even had a chance.)**_ Luke thought as he watched the renegade watchers put their weapons away and regrouped when they heard the sirens and saw the sheriff's car arriving. Luke forced his still stunned body to move as he tried to pick up Gwen trail. There was a pit in Luke's stomach almost the size of his fist. He vomited as he thought in retrospection the events that he had just witnessed. As Luke reached the highway 101 and he saw in the distance a trucker stopping to allow a woman to climb into his cab. With a honk of his horn the tractor trailer truck took off to parts unknown. Gwen was gone, and Luke knew he had to find her before the hunters did.

Three days later an exhausted Luke Denton found his way to a Town called Seacouver and bar called "Joe's" The Monday night poker game was in high gear when he walked in. Luke remembered the bar was always closed on Monday nights, the only times when the watchers could gather for their card games.

At the head of the table sat Adam Pierson, who had been heaping a large pile of poker chips in front of him. Adam was winning nearly every hand. This was something Mr. Pierson rarity did, but tonight Adam was being a terrible tease and flaunting his good luck in the other player's faces.

Joe Dawson was losing, and not at all happy about the way Adam was behaving. The other players, besides Mike the Bar tender were an older woman known as Dana Brook and her younger apprentice Bill Swan. Dana had just retired from the watcher active list. After 15 years Dana just couldn't hang up the trench coat, binoculars, and sunglasses. Bill Swan, who had just taken over for the duties of watching Connor MacLeod had grown fond of the older women and soon a June-December romance bloomed between the apprentice and mentor. Now they were working as a team observing the elder Highlander. Tonight Dana was busy filling Bill in on a few of the finer points of Macleod sword fighting techniques. Frankly she was a bit annoyed at Adam for being such a poor sport about his winnings.

All eyes turned on Luke as he entered the bar. Adam yelled over with a boyish chuckle in his voice, "Hey, Luke good to see you, pull up a chair, its poker night, and come to lose some money?" Adam who was still grinning like a Cheshire cat, turned to take a good look at his old friend Luke Denton and replied, "Luke, you look like Hell, has MacQueen been leading down back allies on wild goose chases again?"

"Luke come and sit down, you can have my seat. I'm on a fixed income now and Pierson seems to think we all have a Swiss bank account like the Immortals we watch." Dana noticed Luke was looking quite frazzled and was in bad need of some TLC and rest. Her eyes shot daggers towards Adam and she vacated her seat giving Luke a hug and a sweet kiss on the cheek.

Every one could tell Adam was quite drunk. Joe knew why, but even being in morning was no excuse for Adam to take that type of chance of slipping up in front of the other watchers. Alexa had died only three and a half weeks ago and Adam had come to Seacouver to put memories aside for a few days and hang out with old friends.

"Thanks Dana, it been a bad day. That why I am here. I lost Gwen three days ago when something awful happened I need to talk to Joe about it privately, and then make my report," Luke said as he relaxed in the first comfortable seat he had been in three days.

"What happened Luke, we all friends her except maybe Pierson, who drunker than a skunk" Joe said back to Luke.

"I resent that Joe, I have only had?" Adam paused to count the glasses before him and after counting, replied "a few."

"Ignore Adam we all know what his problem is and we sent out condolences, just go on Luke" Dana interrupted, always being the peacemaker in the group.

"OK Gwen and her student Michelle took off for some Druid back to nature trip in the mountains, west of Mills Lake state park about a week ago. Three days ago some mortals cut off ago Michelle head at Mills Lake, about 30 miles north of here. Gwen got the quickening and was able to escaped but now she is no where to be found, and I'm very worried. I am telling you the truth it wasn't another immortal, it was watcher! I didn't recognize the others but Carol Wright was one of them." Luke said as he looked at his hand of cards.

Joe who was already looking for a reason to leave the game said "are you sure Luke, I'll check the computer and see if any Immortals other than the regulars have been reported in the area. Macleod is still in France and Ryan is in Mexico for some motocross racing. Seacouver is pretty quite right now"

"Maybe MacQueen took her students head off herself." Adam jested

"Pierson your drunk, we all know Gwen MacQueen's file well enough to know that she would never do something like that! Kill her own student that ridiculous." Joe shot back at Adam.

"Oh I not so sure about that, MacQueen is very unpredictable and passionate, anything's possible." Adam said.

"No really you guys, it was mortals and I recognized Carol Wright among them, she always hated MacQueen, and it's just like when Horton was alive all over again" Luke said with a shiver in his voice.

"That it, I'm shutting this game down and someone taking Pierson back to my house to sleep it off. Mike, check you sources and see if you can find anything else about this, were all going home." Joe said

"Sure boss." Mike reported.

"As far as I know the only immortal around here is Connor MacLeod who is with his son John and they are using Duncan Macleod Cabin on his holy Island for the week. Connor's wife and daughter are on her annual girl's only week long shopping trip in Beverly Hills," Bill Swan reported.

"I'm sending Bill to the island tomorrow to check on MacLeod. He on holy ground so I don't think there will be any action, but we should make sure he's still there and had nothing to do with the beheading" Dana told the group. "Besides it's about time Bill got to stand in the rain for hours and hours doing this glamorous job. Watcher has such exciting lives."

"Luke you got a place to stay yet?" Joe asked him.

"No, I been living out of my car the past 3 days, Bill are you sure you really want a field assignment?" Luke asked "You could always live the cushy life of a researcher like Adam"

"Hey, I had a field job once; it lasted for almost a 2 days. Now I spend all those hours locked in the basement of a library and it not always easy. The lighting is bad, remember what mold can do number on your sinus, endless hour on the laptop can causes burred vision and not to mention reading those old worn out text." Adam shot back.

"We know Adam, life's tough. Hey Luke do me a favor, you can crash at my place tonight if you take home my very drunk friend with you." Joe asked "I need to stay here and clean up and spend some times on the books.''

"Sure, come on Adam we will count your chip at home. Aah, a real Bed, My dreams have come true." Luke said as he and the other watcher left the bar, all of them saying their respective good night to Joe as the left to go to Joe's house for the night.

Joe worked on the computer for almost an hour that about 1:30 AM he stepped outside and locked the bar's door. He hadn't walked more the a few feet when he saw a figure with a sword hiding in the shadows. "Who's there?" Joe called out.

Joe pulled a gun out of his coat. "OK who ever you are I've got a gun so don't try any thing."

"Joe, is that you? Are you alone? It's Gwen." A soft voice called out to him.

"My God! Where have you been? Luke has been searching for you the past 3 days." Joe said as he looked a Gwen. She was a mess. Her clothes were torn and bloodstained, her hair wet jet black, cut short and stringy, and she was caked with dirt. Gwen barely resembled the beautiful woman Joe met last year. Rain stared to fall as the June winds blew cold as Joe stared at Gwen.

"Please, can I come in? I know shouldn't have come here, but I couldn't think of any were else to go. I have been running for three days, the police think I killed Michelle and some other renegade watcher. All my bank accounts and phones are tapped, my houses and friends are being watched, and I am afraid. No one knows about us but you, me and Methos. I made a vow to him not to see you but I have no place to turn and I need your help." Gwen looked so helpless.

"Oh Gwen, hurry up and get in the bar it's staring to rain. I almost didn't recognize you besides it's freezing out here and you don't even have a coat. You will catch your death of a cold if you stand out of here any longer." Joe said, than remembering Gwen was an Immortal and he quickly rephrased his words, "Sorry I forgot, I guess after our last meeting, its difficult to think of you as an Immortal. Anyway let get back in side the Bar."

"Joe that is probably the nicest thing you could have said to me." Gwen smiled for the first time in three days. "Joe you know meeting you made me break a rule I had kept for almost 4000 years."

Joe sighed the last thing he wanted to do was discuses the one night stand he and Gwen had and how she walked out of his life with even a goodbye. "Just hurry up, get inside, because I'm freezing out here. This storm is way to cold for June even for Seacouver." Joe said as he walked Gwen in the bar and in to his office where she sat down on the sofa. "Well Gwen you can't come to my house, there are several watchers staying there already, they all think it's a free hotel. How about I call Macleod and ask him if it is OK to let you crash at his place. He was planning to stay in Paris for a while." Gwen was still soaked to the skin revealing every curve of her body right down to her pouting nibbles, Joe gathered his thoughts, and with a deep breath try to turn his mind to watcher business, and way from his memory of the night of passion he and Gwen had shared. "OK tell me what happened to your student Michelle; I got a message from your watcher that mortals took her head? And what going with you my favorite fashionista, looking like someone who's been living in a swamp? Joe said as he was looking around for a blanket, anything to cover her up so he would stop looking at her. Finally he found a blue blanket in the closet and handed it to Gwen.

"Oh Joe I'm so raddled, it's Carol and she was with a group of 5 or 6 men all other watcher. They caught at Mills Lake and shot us and tied us up then waited for us to revive. Then when we were totally awake and they told us they were going to chop both our heads off. Carol said she wanted me to watch as see as she killed my student first than she had something special planed for me. Michelle was crying and begging then to stop but Carol didn't and killed her right in front of my eyes! If Michelle's quickening hadn't burnt off the ropes they had tied me up with, I would have been dead too. I did try to stab one of the men, to escape but it was in self defense." Gwen was weeping as she recanted the episode to Joe "Michelle never had a chance; that witch Carol could have taken her head when she was unconscious, or shot her again first but she wanted Michelle to feel very afraid, she wanted me to feel all Michelle's fear when I took in Michelle Quickening. Joe do have any idea what that is like to take in to your soul?" Gwen looked up at Joe, of course he didn't, one thing immortal rarely spoke of among themselves was quickening, and how they affected the immortal who received them. The watcher did do interviews or ask question of immortals, they just observed recorded and tried not to interfere.

"I am sorry Gwen; it sounds like it was a horrible experience. I didn't think Carol could do anything like that, good thing you came to me it's probably the only place you are safe. I have to get the Watchers involved, this mean calling my house guests Adam and Luke. Its watchers business and they could help." Joe said

"NO! Joe. Please, please, don't tell Methos I am here. I am breaking a vow I made to him just coming here, I better leave, I sorry Joe I shouldn't have gotten you involved. I am just so confused right now, I sorry Joe. I really have to avoid Methos at all cost; he really doesn't want to see me." She said as she got up to leave.

Joe walked over to Gwen and put his arms around her, then looked down in to her big brown eyes "You are not going anywhere, look at yourself; you can barely stand. Gwen you have been running for three days. I don't give a damn what vow you made to Methos. He is a self-indulgent son of a bitch most of the time anyway. I will handle him, now you just lie down on the sofa and rest for a little while. I'll call MacLeod and I'll take you to the loft as soon as I get some work done. No one can come in my office without me knowing it. Frankly no one ever reported the fact we met except at the wedding so even Carol doesn't know there was anything between us." Joe said sadly as he freed her from his embrace, when all he wanted to do was hold her and kiss her lovely full red lips. But the reality of the situation set in and Joe knew how exhausted Gwen really was so he just grabbed a pillow and dry blanket and handed it to her.

She curled up on Joe's leather sofa and fell asleep as most as fast her head hit the pillow.

"Typical" Joe commented feeling a bad for himself as he closed his office door behind the sleeping immortal "Gwen you didn't even say thank you like you didn't say good by last time."

Joe walked to the bar and picked up the phone and dialed the over seas call to France, he hoped Mac was home, and hoped he hadn't disturber him and some lady.

"MacLeod here" rang the familiar voice.

"Mac its Joe Dawson, sorry did I disturber you, its kind importune"

"Its OK I'm finishing breakfast here with Amanda, What up?"

"Well Adam is here visiting for a few days, he still pretty broken up over Alexa and guess what ex girlfriends of his breezed into town tonight?"

"Gwennie! Joe oh get her a hotel room, take a vacation, and just do not get involved with her again. I remember last year after she left that whole thing was mess, and I know by now you must have talked to her watcher or read her files. Frankly I am just got tired of listening to Methos go on and on about her. I know she is beautiful and enchanting but last year if Methos hadn't walked in when he did I think Gwen and I would have been in a very uncompromising intimate position"

Amanda tossed a bottle of wine at Macs head when she heard part of the conversation. "Amanda Please! Sorry Joe, you know how jealous Amanda is, but really from the stories Methos has told me he calls her the original good time girl." Mac Paused and yelled at Amanda "I hope you happy now Amanda! You broke a perfectly good bottle of 1954..."

Joe broke in "Mac, Amanda cut it out you two, this time it's different she's in trouble, and this time its renegade watchers killing immortals again."

"What dose Methos say about Gwennie, oh yea, Trouble is her middle name. She over 4,000 years old, I think she can take care of herself. It's taking care of someone else that I am worried about right now….Amanda!"

"No Mac, you didn't hear me, its watchers like Horton hunting again. Michelle and Gwen were their targets this time. Gwen is frightened and they killed," Joe Paused and took a deep breath. "Mac, Oh God I don't know how to tell you this," Joe hesitated again, "Michelle Webster is dead, sorry Mac I didn't mean to blurt that out like that. Now some crazy renegade watchers killed her and Gwen barely got away, I am so sorry" Joe said as he ran almost out of breath, choking back thoughts of disgust.

"NO!" MacLeod was dumfounded "not Michelle, she was so young! Tell me who killed her? Dawson was she killed because Michelle was with Gwen, and Amanda why in the world did you give you student to Gwen? Come to think of it Amanda how do the two of you even know each other?"

"Mac you don't understand; it was our people, Hunters, Carol her old watcher along with others yet to be identified. Mac this is another huge mess, its got to be stopped. We have to help Gwen; she did save both our lives last spring." Joe paused. "Oh one thing" Joe chuckled, "MacQueen wants to avoid Methos at all cost if she can."

"Joe He is at your place, right? Sounds like a fine mess, I am on the next flight to Seacouver" Mac replied

"NO! Mac stay were you are for how, maybe I can get Adam to fly back to Paris and back to his old dusty chronicles and get the hell out of Dodge, before someone discovers his secrets. If he gets too close to some renegade watcher when they are cutting off an Immortals head and the quickening jumping to him they the cats out of the bag. Perhaps you can help by getting our friendly 5,000 year old Immortal back to home, before this turns in to a blood bath." Joe commented

"OK Joe I talk to him in later today, it's the middle of the night there isn't it?" Mac replied "And Joe he been through enough please do what you can to keep Gwen MacQueen out of the picture, When he lost Alexa," Mac Paused "Well lets say it has been hard on him. Plus you saw those two in action last year; they were either in bed or fighting like cats and dogs. Fire and ice doesn't even begin to describe their relationship, take care Joe I will do what I can" Mac said as he hug up the phone.

"Ya I know" Joe said turned to look at the sleeping immortal woman, the words fire and ice rang in his ears, and he tried not to think of his one night stand with Gwen and how much he still wanted her.

**End chapter one**

chapter 2

**For God Sake Put some Clothes on!**

**Or**

**Connor MacLeod Meets Methos****, What's Cooking?**


	2. Chapter 2

5

**Disclaimer: Methos, Joe, Richie, and Duncan Macleod are the property of Rysher Entertainment and Davis-Panzer Productions. Gwen MacQueen and her assorted bunch of side kicks are mine. **

**I want to thank my beta reader R.J. Bingham.**

**Rated M for sexual situations and launage **

**Chapter 2**

**For God Sake Put some Clothes on!**

**or**

**Connor MacLeod Meets Methos - What's Cooking?**

It was past 2:30 in the morning and Gwen had slept less than an hour when Joe and she arrived at MacLeod's loft. Gwen immediately stripped off her soiled clothes, and walked naked right in front of Joe and into the shower. As the warm water started to revive her, Gwen smiled and called back to Joe that he should join her.

But Joe balked back at her and said "I'll be right here working on my laptop, OK?" And he turned to go back to the desk.

Gwen called out from the shower "Joe, Your not leaving anytime soon are you? Please I'm still pretty shaken up" She said as she continued to let the warm water fall around her head. (_**I really mean I miss you Joe, I don**__**'**__**t think I can ever remember a mortal stirring up such feelings in me. Hell why can**__**'**__**t I just say that to you**_**.**) She turned off the water and wrapped a large towel around herself, it reminded her of the old toga days, when simple clothing was enough.

Joe turned his head, for only a moment, His eyes caught a glimpse of Gwen's half naked body wrapped in the towel. He wanted to stare, He longed to just stand there and capture all of her with his eyes, but he couldn't get Adam's words out of his mind. (_**Joe, Gwennie is just the original good time girl, so if you even think there's something serious there, just forget it. Anyway she only sleeps with mortals when she has an agenda, never for love. She never has married a mortal. In fact I have never seen Gwennie with a mortal, unless it's to use them for something she wants.**_**)**

Joe turned his back to her and said, "For God sake can you put on some clothes! I found some thing's I think are Amanda's. Just put them on. Don't worry Gwen; I'll stay and Luke is coming over so we can find something out about our renegade watchers. I'll raid Mac's refrigerator and find us some food." He replied back at her, then after a moment of silence and with a question in his voice Joe said, "Gwen?"

"Yes Joe"

"Last spring, why did you leave without saying good-bye. That was a pretty low thing to do. Could you just please tell me why? I know you said something about a vow to Methos but couldn't you have at least said a quick goodbye? Instead you left without a word, and I was left sitting there at the reception table all by myself looking like a fool."

"Joe I am sorry, I didn't think about that, I guess it was a pretty shameless thing for me to do. I'm sorry; Methos demanded that I leave immediately after the wedding. I never meant to hurt you. So I just left, I did what he told me to do, He was angry at me for breaking my own rules." Her voice strained as she spoke every word.

_(__**Damn it, stupid, stupid, Damn, Damn! Why did I say that! What kind of dumb ass girl am I? Get a grip Gwen, you dreamed about this moment for the last year. Then what do you say Methos told me to! Why did I say that! Damn.**__) _Gwen thought as she hit her head against the dresser drawers of MacLeod's closet.

"It's OK, no hard feeling; I just wanted to know your side of the story, Methos did tell me he told you to go but I didn't believe you were still taking order from him," Joe said as he turned and quickly walked to the kitchen.

_(__**Damn! Stupid, stupid, Damn, Damn! Why did I say that to her? What kind of a hard up jerk does she think I am? Get a grip Dawson, You dream about getting naked with that woman for almost a year. Then what does she say, Methos told me to! Yea Adam I know you told her to go, Damn it your one sorry son of a bitch.**__) _Joe thought to himself as he searched through Mac's refrigerator for some food for both of them to eat.

Gwen found a sweat suit to wear. OK it was the wrong size for her, a little too long for her five foot two inch frame, but Amanda was very thin so it showed off the curves of her hour glass shaped body. She almost liked the way she looked in the mirror. Now maybe with a little sleep and a bit of decent food she might begin to feel something close to human again. The thoughts of Michelle's Quickening still haunted her and clouded her mind. After taking in a quickening the identity, power and ability of the immortal that had just died tended to haunt Gwen until she could adsorb and blend this quickening with her own. Gwen was no stranger to death but murder was something she abhorred. This Quickening came to her with much fear and fear was usually an alien emotion to her. Thinking about it she hadn't really felt this kind of fear since those first days after John Morton found her after she was released from the tomb. She laughed to herself, even an electric light frightened her back then. Ignorance now, that was at the root of the fear, and Gwen decided not to let this situation terrorized her any longer. Still thoughts about Joe and their one night stand still streamed up in her mind.

Joe had found some stew that Mac had left in the freezer, and he put on a pot of coffee, sleep was out of the question, his mind was wide awake, going to sleep was not high on the night's activities' list. He fought the urge to pick up the phone; there would be plenty of time in the morning for calling Adam. Joe didn't know which scenario would be worse, Gwennie and Methos continuing their never ending arguments or finding comfort in each others arms. They did have a history, after 2,000 years they either belonged together or were going to kill each other. All he and Gwen shared was a one night stand, yet there was a magic there in that night they spent together. He had to push this all out of his psyche; falling in love with an immortal was definitely out of the question. Besides she had been the lover of one of his close's friends, this whole situation was ludicrous. Joe winced and decided he must turn his attention to the crisis at hand. Watchers killing Immortals, was a major interference in the outcome of the game. Carol Miller and her cohorts had to be stopped; they could not be allowed to continue to murder Immortals. Joe believed the renegade watchers had ended in Paris, when McLeod killed his brother in-law James Horton. To see it happening again was too much to imagine. Finally Joe's mind cleared and turned to see Gwennie sitting on a bar stool smiling at him. His heart skipped a beat; Joe closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath and stirred the stew and the smell of the coffee and homemade stew started to fill the Loft.

Suddenly Gwen grabbed her sword and ran to the elevator. "Joe, you didn't call Methos? You promised you wouldn't! Someone's here!"

"Well unless Methos has gone telepathic Honey, it ain't him." Joe replied, Gwen didn't have time to answer but drew up her sword with a clang to meet the sword of the Immortal that was in the elevator.

"Well is this anyway to greet a friend? Gwen! Where's Duncan and what are you doing here? Duncan gave me a key and permission to stay here, in heavens name women what did you do to your hair?" said a smiling Connor MacLeod.

"Connor, it's a long story, I'm in disguise." Gwennie dropped her sword and embraced the Highlander. He scooped up the small women in his arms and gave her a long hug. Joe rolled his eyes, and began to make a sound as if he was clearing his throat. The couple barely noticed his presence, so Joe just shaking his head he continued to prepare the stew. The pleasant smell permeated the loft and made Joe's empty stomach grumble.

"I should defrost more stew I didn't know this was going to be a party" Joe sarcastically said as Gwen and Connor finally broke their embrace and looked at him.

"Oh Connor I'd like you to meet a good friend of mine and of Duncan's, this is Joe Dawson."

"Hi ya, so I finally get to meet the great Connor Macleod" Joe smiled while still rolling his eyes at how quickly Gwen seemed to fall into men's embraces.

"Gwen If I've interrupted something well..." Connor began to back out of the embrace that he had held Gwennie in and put her back on the floor.

"No Connor, really it's OK. I'm really thrilled your here, I was worried about you. Joe was just helping me, there's a lot I need to explain to you. I'm just so glad they didn't find you yet, and that you're all right. Where is John?"

"First what did you mean when you said, they didn't find me yet? And John, oh he got bored you know teenagers. I sent him down to LA with his step mother and little sister," Connor inquired.

"Connor, I was trying to call you about what happened to me but the cell phone reception wasn't good" Gwen smiling gave Connor an innocent look.

"Its OK I was worried about you also. There was another immortal in the wood when I came off the island; I felt him or her when I got back in cell phone range. I got that crazy call from you with you babbling about some mortals that were hunting you? You said I should leave now and go home, and that mortals took the head of your student? If there was an Immortal around why would a mortal take your students head? Gwennie this makes no sense to me. Girl you look scared, and that is a new look for you. Tell me what the hell are you talking about? Not to mention how does your friend Dawson, tie in to all this?" Connor's eyes narrowed as he asked the questions.

Joe commented "Sounds like the cell phone reception was good just the conversation too mind-boggling."

Before anyone could get a word in edgewise the two Immortals froze and looked towards the door that led from the street. They both raised their swords as they felt the buzz of yet another Immortal. The door opened slowly as a familiar voice called out, "Gwennie It's me, Methos. Women just put your sword down. You must have realized, I knew you would be here. I bet you have Joe with you too. Please women, do try to have something decent on," Said the Tall thin man as he entered the loft.

But it wasn't Gwennie who swung the sword at Methos, but Connor MacLeod, Methos jumped back falling on the floor just in the nick of time to avoid being cut by the highlanders katana. "What the Bloody Hell!" Methos yelled as he pulled out his Lancelot sword.

"I'm Connor MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod, so we finally meet. If I were you, I would be a bit more discrete than that, just busting into a room and announcing yourself like that. I should take your head just because of all the things I've heard about you, but I might do that later. Right now I do not want to upset the lady any more than she already is. I can wait for a more appropriate time."

"Highlander you don't know me! Hey I am here trying to help and I don't think we will have time for fighting among ourselves." Methos looked at Gwen and said "What do we have here, Gwennie you have changed your hair it's short and black and wet. Call off your guard dog, Gwennie! Please!" Methos shouted as he perceived the elder McLeod still raising his sword.

"I am not any ones Guard Dog!" Connor growled as he continued to threaten the old immortal with his sword, and Methos stayed on the floor.

"Connor! Please put the sword down! Methos are you OK? Sorry about the reception, but you could have phoned to tell us you were coming?" Gwennie said with an innocent grin. "What are you doing here anyway? I was trying to avoid you, you did say we were not going to see each other until 2010, and it's only 1996, you're early"

"Gwennie stop being ridiculous, I was looking for Joe. Something smells good what is Dawson cooking?"

"Stew" Joe shot back nonchalantly as if there weren't three immortals in the room, two with swords raised.

"Stew Sounds good, well I was sobering up and couldn't sleep, and I got some more information on those people who killed your student. When Joe didn't come home, I became concerned. Some how I had a feeling you might have sought Joe out. So I checked the bar and when I found it closed up I figured this was the only logical place he could have brought you. Anyway Gwennie as for your friend, the elder Highlander, seeing him here, well that's a total surprise for me. But I do think the short hair is a good look for you. I'm not crazy about the color, but you still always seem to forget about electricity and hairdryers" Methos paused looked in the air and took a deep breath "Gwennie I'm not your enemy, OK I know you're in trouble. Just tell me how you do it? How do you draw men to you like honey does fly's? You have Joe to help so how the hell did you get Connor Macleod here so fast? Honestly Gwennie how many men do you need around you at one time?"

"Not funny Methos!" Gwennie said as she walked over to him and offered him a hand to get up off the floor.

"Not intended to be." Methos said as he gave her a disgruntled look. "You probably just enjoyed seeing me knocked my buns."

"OK maybe I do" Gwen said as she let go of her grip just as he was half way up. That sent Methos falling once again to the floor, "What the hell gives you the right to tell me what to do and who to do it with, I am not your little slave girl any more! You have made it very clear you're not my lover either! Damn you Methos can't you just stay out of my life?"

"Gwen I will be happy to take his head, if he's bothering you" Connor kept reminded her.

Joe looked upon the group of Immortals before him and started to laugh. "Well aren't we a fine bunch, I think the stew's done, and please Methos once you have finally gotten off the floor please enlighten me on what you have found out about the people who where hunting Gwen before someone else walks in. Mac really would prefer we keep his place a quickening free zone. It would make a terrible mess and he's kind of a neat freak so if any of you really want to get in to a sword fight you will have to take it to the dojo downstairs."

End of chapter 2

**Look for chapter 3 - Bed time stories.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: You know the drill Davis-Panzer Productions owns Highlander. Gwen MacQueen and her assorted bunch of sidekicks are mine. No money is being exchanged this is being written for entertainment purposes only. **

**Please leave a review I am a writer and need input!**

**Rated M for adult content – trust me they are coming up just hang in there, it not called the Original good time girl for nothing! also bad language - Oh bloody hell just enjoy the story. **

**I want to thank my beta reader R.J. Bingham.**

**Chapter 3 - Bedtime Stories**

The unlikely foursome all sat around Duncan's kitchen eating stew and drinking coffee in silence. That was until Connor broke the stillness, "Duncan always had a good recipe for stew, thanks for warming it up for us Joe!"

Methos who always had a comment broke in and said "If you liked Duncan's stew you would have loved Odiocie's stew. The man had a way with venison, lentils, and chestnuts I've never been able to duplicate."

"Thanks Methos but the last thing we need to do is to trade recipes tonight, so what information did you bring with you for us?" Joe interrupted as Connor just looked on with excitement to see what would happen next.

"Luke found the identity of the man Gwennie eliminated. He was a watcher named John Kent, and the police have a warrant out for her arrest, for his murder and the murder of Michelle also. Carol Wright Miller and her gang identified Gwennie as the killer. Gwennie I don't think you can go home and most of your assets are probably frozen anyway." Methos said.

"Bright Boy Methos, I already knew that, I called Barney and he told me the bad news," Gwen sighed "Barney is getting me some cash we're still working on a drop site. Methos don't say anything because I know your next suggestion will be that I should just disappear for thirty or forty years. I am afraid that will not stop Carol so I don't think it's my best option. Too bad I thought you had brought us some real information, huh, I guess not!" Gwen gave Methos an ugly glare.

A knock at the door came and the group inside froze. Joe broke in, "OK I don't see anyone grabbing a sword so it must be one of my guys. It should be, Luke Denton, I called him to come over, hey what's one more to join the party, the more the merrier, I say. Could someone get the door he is trying to help us. Come on you guys just relax I am sure he knows just exactly who all of you really are. He is Gwen's Watcher."

"Watchers? Could someone please explain this to me?" Connor said in a confused voice. Gwennie just whispered in his hear, as Connor's eyes got wider and wider.

"Joe, does Luke know who I am?" Methos Blurted out, "maybe some certain lady told him." Gwen just looked up in the air and rolled her eyes. Methos angrily replied "Gwennie, How could you?"

Joe intervened "Luke's a smart guy if he knows anything he figured it out on his own so cool your jets Methos. Luke hasn't told anyone, and he has kept Gwen's secrets I wouldn't worry about yours. Just go get the damn door please."

Methos opened the door to find Mr. Lukas Denton, his arms full with a laptop, folders and brief case, saying "Hi Adam, fancy finding you here, I was hoping you got a hotel room and were not involved in this mess. Hi Joe, Gwen, and Oh my God is that Connor MacLeod? I hope there are no other surprise visitors tonight!"

"Joe, why am I everybody's least favorite person here tonight?" Methos complained.

"Adam didn't you get the call from Duncan MacLeod telling you to go to Paris? MacLeod said he needed you for something or other? You might check your cell phone voice-mail? Really Adam why are you asking Joe why are you the least favorite person here, now that's a really dumb question. I thought someone as Machiavellian as you would have figured it out for yourself. A watcher, who's an Immortal hiding in the watchers, especially when there are renegade watchers hunting Immortals. I don't think this is a great place for you to be right now. To top it all off I thought you and Ms. MacQueen decided not to get together for at least the next 15 years." Luke told Methos as he walked through the door.

"Luke aren't you the boy with all the information, gee and to think you've been my drinking buddy on and off for the last 10 years." Methos shook his head in disgust. "Gwennie why didn't you just take out an ad in the New York Times it seems everyone knows my secret identity! And why do you think I am Machiavellian Luke? I met that guy and frankly we are nothing alike!"

"Stop bothering Gwen Adam! She didn't tell me, I figured it out myself. Frankly it wasn't that difficult with all the info I have on Gwen and what happened last year. Methos showed up exactly the same time you did 'Adam'. Besides we roomed together at the academy and you taught me Minoan Linear A and I recognized your handwriting on the post cards you sent Gwen, and they were all mailed from Paris!" Luke shot at Adam.

"You were her watcher how did you come to be reading her mail?" Adam blasted Luke back.

"I was at a Christmas party at her house; ask Connor he was there too" Luke defended himself.

"Gwen doesn't even celebrate Christmas she a pagan!" Adam answered.

"OK winter solstices, hey we had spiced rum and a Yule log burning on the beach, but Santa Clause did drop by with Christmas gifts for all the kids, remember Connor he brought your kids gifts?" Luke elaborated on details about the party.

"Yes Luke you are right my daughter was thrilled to see Santa." Connor said trying to help out his friend.

"Luke the point is you are Gwennie's watcher, you're not supposed to be attending her holiday parties, much less reading her post cards!" Methos said still more than a little miffed.

"Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black Adam, you're an immortal you're not supposed to be in the watchers!" Joe thought it looked like Luke was likely to be the next person on the list to try to punch out Methos so he intervened.

"Luke, Adam, cool your jets! We are not here tonight to argue. There is bigger problem here Watchers killing immortals. So trust me Methos, Luke is in deep shit falsifying reports to HQ about Gwen he's not about to mention your secrets to anyone. I think he is the only other watcher who's falsified as many reports to HQ as I have. Frankly both Luke and I are one step away from that old tradition of the watchers blowing out our brains at dawn for treason. So relax old man nothing is going beyond this room." Joe hated laying it out on the line but he and Luke both knew how dangerous their interaction with their immortal assignments really was.

"Joe is right, and I came here to help Gwen and tell her, she didn't kill the renegade watcher like the police report said. He was stabbed then shot, in the head, execution style. So I guess that lets you off the hook Gwennie." Luke quietly said, "So Gwen it couldn't have been you who killed him, but he was killed with your gun so it looks bad."

Just as Luke finished telling Gwen about the renegade watchers there was another knock at the door.

Connor exclaimed, "Whoever it is they're not an immortal, maybe it's another one of you watchers. I'm not getting the door."

Joe shook his head, "Well it's not like I sent out invitations! We will have to see who else is joining the party." Joe opened the door to find a tall balding man in his forties; dressed in a three piece suit Joe hadn't seen him since his wedding about a year ago. "Barney, what are you doing here?" he said to the man as he entered the loft.

"Barney you shouldn't have come, someone may have followed you. I am glad to see you, but it was still too dangerous." Gwen said as she ran to him and gave the tall man a long hug.

"Gwen, I had to see you, Luke told me you were here. Sorry Luke I just can't believe what happened, that Carol would do such a thing. Gwen I brought the money we talked about. Don't worry it's from that rainy day bank account we set up and should not be traceable. I have been so worried about you" Barney said refusing to let go of Gwen.

Methos walked over to the pair and opened his mouth and counted the men in the room and said "Let see Gwen, four men to help you, not counting me, you think you have enough?"

Barney let Gwen go took a couple of steps and punched Methos right in the chin sending him once again tumbling to the floor. "You're one conceited bastard! Get up off the floor, I might be over forty, but in my day I was the boxing champ at Yale. I know just who you are, the son of a bitch who caused Gwen more heart ache that anyone ever, that Methos guy, am I right? Come on are you afraid to fight me?"

Methos lay on the floor a moment, rubbing his chin, "No I am not afraid, I am just not interested in fighting you and I am Adam Pierson. It appears to me that you're also utterly infatuated with Ms. MacQueen. Good God Gwennie does every man you meet fall hopelessly in love with you? Will you ever learn to control that mystic mojo of yours?"

"Barney he's not worth your anger, just leave him alone" Gwen said softly, "I told you, he was out of my life right now so please just forget it."

"Gwennie, you have just proved my point you ARE STILL THE ORIGINAL GOOD TIME GIRL!" Methos shouted as he got up off the floor.

Then Barney stepped over towards Methos and decked him again. Joe quickly got between the two men yet he couldn't help smiling seeing Methos being knocked on his ass for the fourth time in a row. "OK guys what going on here? I had to say I did enjoy Methos getting knocked down once but twice it getting a bit much, spill the beans Barney, what's going on here."

Luke spoke up "Adam I think you got Gwen's and Barney's relationship all wrong," all eyes in the room turned to Luke. "Barney, Gwen Is it alright I tell them what's going on here?"

Gwen just nodded and Barney gave Luke an angry huff and sat on MacLeod's green leather sofa. Barney spat out angrily "That man doesn't deserve the truth, but do what you like and Luke; I can't even look at him."

"Adam, Methos whatever name you are using right now pay attention to this, because it's important! After Barney's parents died, Gwen raised him and she's been the only mother he can remember." Luke hesitated, then pleaded "Gwen can't you help me with the story? I really only heard it once and I was drunk at the time. We were drinking that mead you brew yourself; I think Father Darius gave you the recipe. You know it's very powerful stuff and my head hurt for a couple of day afterward."

"Oh Fine, but you can't hold your liquor Luke, you really should try not to embarrass yourself drinking so much, I warned you the mead was strong. But OK I'll do anything at this point to keep the peace around here and stop Barney from knocking Methos on his ass again. OK let's see it was about 40 or 42 years ago who remembers dates. I was hunting an Immortal I think his name was Sid Klmont. Well we fought but he got away from me in a stolen sport car, and I chased him in mine. We both were driving way too fast, and there was this couple pushing a baby carriage. Klmont ran them down, he crashed the car into them but he missed the Baby carriage. Well to make the story shorter, I got Klmont's head and I found Barney, sitting up in the carriage watching the quickening. I checked his parents, they were both dead and I just sort of took the toddler home. I thought I would keep him just until I could find a relative or someone to take him. After I substantiated there really was no one to take the child, I couldn't face the idea of putting him into foster care. So I kept him myself, named him Barney and made him my ward. I felt it was really my fault he was an orphan." Gwen said somberly.

Barney got up out of the chair and approached Methos again saying "Yea, Adam, Methos, or whoever the hell you call yourself. Gwen was the best mother anyone could have had. I had the best childhood and a top education too, and when Gwen founded MacQueen Associates she made me her Vice President, and I own half the company. You do not know this woman, she is kind and good and she fights for what's right. Ever since I can remember, Gwen has risked her life to fight against evil Immortals. She always left me well taken care of, even when I didn't know if she was ever coming back. It was like having a mix between one of those good old fashioned Mom's that was always telling you bedtime stories and tucking you in every night, contrasted with having wonder women for a mom." Barney spoke angrily at Methos. "Oh she told me a few bed time stories that were whoppers about you"

"Gwennie, which escapades of mine or ours would you think could qualify as a child's bedtime stories?" Methos said as he looked in to Gwen's eyes. "But, I get it, I am sorry Barney, sorry Gwennie, I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions, now is every one going to stop punching me?" Methos scowled. "Really Gwennie it's still hard to picture you as a mother. I mean really, it isn't something I ever imagined of you doing?" Barney took a step towards him, and Methos stepped behind Joe.

"May I make a suggestion" Joe said to the group, and they all seemed to nod their heads in agreement, "Well why don't you all just go, so Luke and I can get some real work done. That includes you old man, get out of here, go back to Paris, and at least no one will have a good reason to give you a good punch in the mouth."

"Thanks old buddy, I think I can handle myself, but I agree it's getting a bit crowed in this loft, so I bid you all a fond farewell for now." Methos said as he grabbed his trench coat and walked toward the door.

"Methos aren't you the first guy who said let catch a plane to Key West, or Borra Borra?" Joe said with a surprised tone in his voice.

"Usually Joe but its tourist season down there, you know how I hate crowds. I guess I will be seeing you all tomorrow, behave yourself Gwennie." Methos said as the door closed behind him.

"What's up with Methos?" Joe asked the group.

"Don't ask me I don't know the guy," replied Connor.

"You're better off Connor, he's just being his usual pain in the ass self" Gwen said as she took Connor in her arms and gave him a big hug. "Connor just please go home to Scotland, take your family back there until this is all over. They will kill you and they will kill your family without a second thought. You don't know what you are dealing with here. Please take Barney back to Los Angles with you. He is in danger too" Gwen pleaded with the Highlander.

"Gwen I don't run from a fight, I am Connor MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod." Connor replied "Gwen you know me, I have a kind of a magic of my own too. I'll be fine and it would take an act of God to get my wife to stop her annual shopping trip early, so relax, but I think I'll get a Hotel room and get some rest."

"I'm not leaving you either Gwen" Barney echoed "especially when it's my soon to be ex-wife that's causing all the trouble. Connor would you like to share my suit at the Hilton? There are two bedrooms and two baths and it's covered by the corporation, so it's got a free mini bar."

"Lead on Barney besides you owe me for all the times you stayed with me in Glenfinnan" Connor said as he gave Gwen one last goodbye kiss on the check.

Gwen looked up at the Highlander and said "Barney, Connor just lay low these people we are fighting are mortals and they are not part of our game, I will be OK here, I trust Joe and Luke to help me figure this out, and I'll contact both of you soon. Just please go; I couldn't bear to lose either of you." Gwen said as she gave them both one more hug and walked them to the lofts elevator, closed it and waved goodbye as they left her alone with Luke and Joe.

"WOW, Joe you sure can clear a room fast!" Luke chuckled.

"Guys you two don't mind if I grab some Z's, it's been days since I really slept, and this whole confrontation between Barney and Methos, really took it out of me. Where do you think Methos is going?" Gwen yawned.

"Frankly my dear I don't give a damn, He was a pain in the ass tonight. Gwen don't worry about him he's a survivor, he is probably to the Radisson since that is the place where he usually stays in Seacouver." Joe commented. "Anyway Methos is too smart after 5,000 years to lose his head in a mess like this so please the last thing I would do is worry about him."

"Yea Gwen get some rest, Joe and I have to make calls and figure out what is the next move," Luke gave her a hug and Gwen crawled under the covers of MacLeod's king sized bed and was soon in dream land.

The two watchers put on another pot of coffee and went to work, after an hour or so Joe looked up and into Luke's eyes and said "You gave Gwen a hug you're infatuated with her too"

Luke laughed "Sorry Joe I am only as fascinated with her as her watcher would be, can I tell you something but promise me you'll keep it to yourself?"

Joe nodded "Hell what's one more secret! I already am personal friends with several immortals, and know two of the oldest living immortals one of which is hiding as a watcher, what could you tell me that's bigger than that?"

"I'm Gay, whatever mystic power Gwen has over men doesn't work on me, I think that's one reason I got the job as her watcher. Only a few people at HQ know, there is still a lot of prejudice out there, and I would rather keep my personal life personal." Luke smiled at Joe. "Are we going to be OK with this?"

"Oh, sure Luke, it really wasn't any of my business. Hey you know me, anything you say is between us, stays between us" Joe smiled back at him.

"Thanks Joe, people can be weird, but I need to tell you something else, a secret that Gwen doesn't want me to tell." Luke said in a serious tone.

"What are you talking about Luke, so tell me what's the big secret Gwen has; she doesn't want me to know?" Joe shook his head back at Luke, this true confession night was hitting a bit close to home and Joe pretended he didn't have a clue.

"Joe sometime you are so Blind, can't you tell she cares for you. Gwen almost dies a few days ago and out of all the people she knows in the world, who does she go to? – to you."

"You're crazy Luke, she's an Immortal I'm a watcher, Gwen just thought I could help her, and there is her relationship with Methos to consider," Joe spat back at him.

"Methos has been married to a lot of mortal women over the centuries, and he loved them very much, you knew Alexa a lot better than I did, I saw the post cards they sent to Gwen. We both know how deeply Methos and Alexa loved each other. You know as much as Duncan MacLeod loved Tessa, or Ann or any other of his mortal lovers is that the same love he has for Amanda? I don't think so. It seems different when two Immortal are lovers than when an Immortal loves a mortal. That love is more precious, more important, sometimes they even give their heads to save their mortal lovers, think of Rebecca." Luke paused to let Joe take in what he was saying.

"OK Luke, I see your point but you're nuts about the idea that there is something between Gwen and I, all we had was a one night stand and once Methos blew into town, she all but forget I ever existed."

"Maybe for Gwen Methos is like an old habit, something likes smoking, it's hard to break and even when you have quit do you still really miss smoking that last cigarette! Maybe it was just comfortable, easy a relationship she didn't have to work at it. Didn't you ever have an old relationship like that?" Luke asked "I did once, and boy I miss it"

"I have no idea Luke! But then again their relationship did go on for over 2,000 years," Joe said "Explain to me why Methos and Gwen fight like cats and dogs, then fall in bed like newlyweds, if that's not what love is, what is?"

"Joe, there is a lot you don't know about Gwen, like she doesn't fall in love with mortals. Ever! Well not at least until she met you. I think you're the first since her husband in Minoan back when she didn't know she was going to be an Immortal."

"Luke where are you getting this stuff, I thought she was from Britain?"

"Nope she lied about that" Luke smiled "She lies about a lot of things I guess she learned how to lie from Methos. Gwen was born sometime around about 2500 BC near Crete. Her father and mother were High Priests in the temple and as a child she had nothing to want for. She learned to read and write and when the time came she was given in marriage to a great general, she said told me she loved him very much."

"Luke you believe this hunk of bull crap?" Joe said as he continued to work on the computer.

"Yea, I do, I cross referenced it with several files of Immortals she was with since she got out of the tomb in 1916, and OK that's bullshit….. I asked Connor McLeod and he verified it. Joe the Guy's straight as an arrow, he told me he'd kill me if I told anyone. At the time he didn't know I was a watcher or what watchers were until tonight he just thought I was one of Gwen's friends. So please there is a method to my madness here and a reason I am telling you, and frankly if I asked Connor he would agree with me that it's OK I tell you." Luke breathed hard. "If he comes back, double check with him, OK Joe!"

"Well you sure got my attention now, it's almost morning and we need a break so you might as well go on with the story Luke." Joe said as he kicked back and watched Gwen sleeping curled up in Mac's bed.

Luke Denton began telling Joe the sad tale of the girl form Minoan named Gwenanosa. "I already told you about her family so I will jump to her at age 17 or 18. That's, when the time came for her to married a great General, she says she can't remember his name, I don't buy that one for one minute."

"Why would she forget the name of her first love?" Joe asked.

"Joe just be quiet and pay attention to the story before she wakes up, OK buddy" Luke said. "One day her husband killed her, it was some sort of argument, but as the story goes, he was so surprised she couldn't die, that he killed here so many times she stopped counting. Then because he thought she was a demon he went and cut off the heads of her parents and showed them to her. After that he took her far away from Crete to what would become Greece and sold her to a brothel where she lived as a harlot for hundreds of years. Calendars were all different back then so I don't even think she knows how long she lived in the brothels. Anyway no one seemed to notice she didn't age because they were so amazed she could heal from anything a client would do to her. Connor said she changed brothels every 4 or 5 years because she would kill so many of her masters and customers. In the Brothels she was beaten and raped on a daily basis. Gwen stayed there until Methos bought her at the slave bazaars. Methos was bidding for her against another Immortal and had to take the other Immortals head and steal a couple of horses just so they could get out of town. Then she stayed with Methos as his student for a long time, I don't know how long? They both weren't crazy about mortals, and for a long time they mostly stayed clear of them."

"Luke that quite a story, too bad you didn't ask her to verify it herself" Joe answered. "So Gwen hated mortals, especially mortal men, given if what you just said was true, I could agree that might be possible."

Luke said. "Yea, she's not crazy about mortal men Joe, for what they did to her in the brothels to my knowledge Gwen never consorted with mortals again except maybe for fame and fortune. As far as I know all her lovers were and have always been other Immortals."

Joe answered "that is a very sad and tragic tale, but it happened over what? 4500 years ago? Her beloved husband killed her, and she lived as a prostitute for hundreds of years. That's pretty tough stuff to hear, but there are a lot of holes in that story Luke, there's got to be more there than what you said." Joe replied in disbelief. "Who knows what could happen to an immortal that lived that long ago, Christ Luke, you're saying she's almost as old as Methos, and women were treated as property back then and most of them were beaten and raped anyway."

"Well Joe why don't you ask her you're self. What I was trying to get through your thick skull is that you are someone special to her. According to Connor she hasn't ever taken a mortal for a romantic relationship. I promise you that until she met you, Gwen had a strict rule never get personally involved with mortal men. It was a rule she kept, a carryover from her days in the Brothels. I just always thought that mortal lovers brought back too many bad memories for her so she avoided them like the plague." Luke said as he returned his attention back to his laptop, and finding the renegade watchers.

"If you know so much Mr. Denton why did she never speak to me again after Barney's wedding last spring?" Joe angerly replied.

Luke looked Joe in the eyes and said "She told Connor that Methos made her take a vow to stay away from you. Methos told her she was still acting like a child holding on to a dream that was smashed thousands of years ago and had no comprehension of what the word love meant. According to what Gwen told Connor, Gwen said Methos went on to say that he would not let Gwen hurt you, like she has hurt so many other men who have dared to love her. Connor had to agree with what Methos said to Gwen because he loved her for years and she never loved him back. Connor believes Gwen lost the capacity to love anyone except maybe Methos. But who knows, if he ever really loved her either, for 2,000 years Methos considered himself her master and she always thought she was his slave."

"So what's the point telling me all this Luke? It's a sad story but not one we haven't seen before, there are similar stories in many women immortals life before. Look at Amanda for instance, for centuries she was always the little thief, but isn't that the role society gave her so she continued to play it? Women born back in per-modern times had few choices. Isn't Cassandra still the witch in the woods? I guess Rebecca was the only female immortal I can think of that grew beyond her ancient female programming." Joe responded.

"Joe you just don't get it, Gwen agreed to stay away from you, she took that vow. She didn't even go to the Barney's reception! She was afraid of hurting you! She never would have obeyed Methos if he didn't hit a nerve! Gwen stopped taking order from Methos about 1900 BC. Gwen cares about you perhaps more than she's cared about anyone in eons. I think she loves you Joe." Luke finished his speech but never telling Joe about the photo taken at Barneys wedding of the best women and man of honor that Gwen keeps next to her bed.

"Luke your nuts! Last summer I made a huge mistake; I should have been checking the info from HQ more carefully. I didn't know Gwen was immortal when I slept with her. I made a stupid blunder and you better stop being so involved with your assignment, or you're going to get in trouble. HQ's not thrilled about MacLeod and me either. If they find out your falsifying records and hiding the fact your immortal is not 110 years old but over 4000 you are going get the old gun to the head at sunrise. Frankly we are both in very deep shit for protecting the identity of Adam Pierson really being an immortal. The fact that he is Methos the oldest immortal on earth just makes the whole thing a hundred times worst! It boggles the mind how many rule have been broken between the two of us. The last thing on earth I want or need to do is to fall in love with an immortal, this conversation is over, got it Luke?" Joe insisted.

But as he denied everything to Luke Joe still looked at the sleeping women in Mac's bed and wondered, was there something there between them or was he just under one of Gwen's mystic spells.

**End chapter 3 **

**Chapter 4 - The Naked Truth **


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:**** Highlander is the property of Davis Panzer Productions. Gwen MacQueen and her assorted bunch of sidekicks are mine. **

**I want to thank my beta reader ****R.J. Bingham **

**Chapter 4 **

**The Naked Truth - ****How Methos met Gwennie**

*****Flashback*****

**2500 BC the Real Story**

The high Priest and Priestess Nicadeds and his wife Gwenan had just lost their fourth child, stillborn. They felt as if they were cursed. The Priest Nicadeds wanted to up cheer wife so Nicadeds decide to take a walked along the sea shore and look for sea shells Gwenan's favorite things. When suddenly Nicadeds heard a baby's cry. He ran and pick up the naked infant girl, she was beautiful so fair with bright red hair, and so he hatched a plan to keep her and say she was the child that was born in place of their dead one. Since the baby was found near the sea, so her parents called her Gwenanovesevea for her mother Gwenan; and the Sea Goddess Ovesevea who guided sailor safely on their journeys and thanked the Sea Goddess Ovesevea that they finally had a child that lived.

The little girl was the apple of her father's eye, and he and his wife being the chief priestess, to the Royal family, had her educated along with the Queen's and King's own children, and she wore scarlet and gold. Her parents call her Gwenanosa and she grew up to be a beauty above beauties and surly one of the fairest maidens in the land.

Many thought she was touched by the Goddess she was named after for she always seemed to have a mystique's way about her and she seem to excel at any thing she try to accomplish. Jump of the Bulls was her favorite activity. The object of the game was to run towards charging bulls and due somersaults off the bulls back and land on the ground with out a scratch. Her parents forbid it so Gwenanosa wore a mask and was crowned a champion of the games at only 15 years old.

Many of the men competed with her but Gwenanosa still beat many of them, one particular young man was in the army, his name was Cron and he was moving fast in ranks towards General. Cron liked to flirt with Gwenanosa, talk to her and tell Gwenanosa jokes when they waited for the bull jumping to start; he often also won many times. Cron jumped the bulls with her when were his unit was in the capital. One day he was trying to amuse Gwenanosa during the competition he was caught off guard and a bull gourd him in his face, Gwenanosa jumped her bull but, scream in fright and got others to help pull him to safety. She stayed by his side and help nurse him back to health, even talking her parents in to talking Cron in to their own home to convalesce. When he was better he went away again with the army and Gwenanosa pined away for him.

Many of young men in the city wanted her hand in marriage. But Gwenanosa refused all her suitors even thought this angered her parents. She fell in love with the soldier Cron, and moped around when he was off doing the King's service, but greeted him with kisses and joy when he returned. The young man that Gwenanosa had fallen in love with, wasn't from one of the best families, in fact was an orphan, raised by a fellow soldier. Cron was a no one, a solder, a profession that was not valued in the Minoan culture, and thought he was only twenty-six he had achieved the ranch of General. He was a master of the battle unlike few men have been. Gwenanosa's Mother and Father could see that sometime he was a very cruel man but he was a man who knew how to deliver results for his Queen and King. He wanted Gwenanosa too because she was beautiful, intelligent, athletic, and the best of all the virgins, in the capital and knew Gwenanosa was already in love him so Cron became her husband against her parents wishes.

Gwenanosa was happy except for one thing, after almost five year of her marriage she was barren, she went to the Temple to sacrifice and pray to the Gods for a child to please her husband but it never helped. Her Mother the high priestess prayed to the Gods for her everyday, yet nothing they could do seemed to help the situation. Gwenanosa loved her husband and was angry when he took several concubines to have a child with but still no child was born. General Cron and her were known to have heated arguments, but always make up and seemed to the rest of the community like the perfect love match.

One night the General and Gwenanosa got in to terrible argument, that turned violent, as it had many times before, and he slapped her and she fell and hit her head on a rock. It cracked her head open and soon she bled out and died. He held her in his arm crying and refused to put her down, for in truth Cron loved his wife. The General just stayed there just holding his dead wife in his arms lamenting his grief refusing to let anyone take her from him, all night long. Until a strange thing happened, she awoke from her sleep of death completely healed. Bewildered and angry the General stabbed Gwenanosa to death and waited. Again she came alive again with out a mark on her, he then strangled her and waited, the same result occurred, Gwenanosa stop counting how many times he killed her just to see her come back to life and beg him to stop. Finally, the General Cron tied her up, and went out. He was gone for a long while, but when he returned he brought the heads of her Mother and Father with him to show her his anger. He had no idea that was the way to finally kill her, nor was that his intention.

The General Cron tied her hands and saddled his horse and rode off with her out of the Kingdom far away, they took a boat to the mainland and continued to ride many days journey. He would not speak to her only call her demonist. Gwenanosa wept, but no tears could stop the General Cron in his quest. His anger never wavered until they stop in a large city and he sold her to a man who ran a Brothel, then spiting on her he rode away never to see her again.

Well the owner of the brothel had no idea what good fortune had just fallen in to his lap. But soon he discovered the mystical power of his latest harlot. No matter how badly they beat her or raped her by morning she was beautiful as ever. She became a great prize to these men who never seemed to notice she didn't age. Gwenanosa killed several of her clients and masters, and then they would kill her. Seeing death didn't take her for long, another brothel master in another town was more than happy to take her in, because of her great ability to maintain her beauty. The new master would again just beat and rape, her some more and again the magic would happen and their new whore would regain her beautify. She was a prize to these men above all other in their stables. Gwenanosa became nameless, just called women or whore, but her attitude never changed, she was defiant as always, and as much as they tried to tame her, her will only grew stronger. Yes she realized she had to make some concessions due to her slavery, and after the first 50 years she appeared more docile and gave in a bit to her master. But those men who wanted a whore to please their every need would not want her, because of her continued defiance. No matter now many times they beat her or how many times they rape her, she would not submit body and soul to her masters. She received the more violent, drunken and difficult clients. Why damage the more delicate merchandise anyway when they had her who healed and her beauty was restored after a night of rough treatment or beats.

On day an Immortal came to the brothel. He figured he would have his way with her and than take her head. He figured wrong. He had brought his sword in the room with him and she fought him, she was able to get his own weapons away from him. He begged her not to take his head, so Gwenanosa did just that. The Quickening (or lightning as she called it) was like nothing could she ever imagine. She almost escaped that night, but the guards shot her with an arrow and Gwenanosa awake in a new brothel, with a new master and new beating and new rapes, it seemed an endless cycle to her but she was not willing to submit to the will of the brothel owners, after all she was named after a Goddess.

Several other Immortals came, all with the same intention, but one was kind to her, brought food and told her tales of other like herself, explained the game to her and said he was very old. Gwenanosa sensed he had lied to her and he himself was not very old but something in side of him was. The Immortal said he was taking her head as a kindness, since he knew her master would not let her go, and this was no way for an Immortal to live. Gwenanosa responded that she rejected his so called kindness and would find a way out of her present situation someday. He stabbed her with his sword think the pain would make her give up but he didn't know Gwenanosa, pain had been her friend for many years. She tricked him and fought for the sword. Not realizing the power of his opponent to withstand pain, not knowing the thousands of beating she had been through, how could he know how strong her spirit was? They struggled and she made him trip then took the sword and Gwenanosa took his head, the power of the quickening. It was then she realized the immortal that had just died was not so old but he had killed a very ancient one, a woman who had mystic powers gained long before any time Gwenanosa could remember. So these powers were pasted on to Gwenanosa, forever changing her life.

Gwenanosa had no accounting for time; her experience in the brothels went on for centuries. At one point she stop counting but if she was to estimate it was over well over 400 years she had been imprisoned. In all that time there were many other Immortals who saw her as an easy mark. After she gained the mystic power it was easier to take the other immortals heads. Beside if a mans pants were down and mind engaged in another direction it became child's play to kill the other immortal.

This all went on until one cool late winter day when she found herself once again naked and vulnerable on the auction block. This time it was different there were among the bidders two Immortals bidding for her. She was in chains and found this a very disturbing situation.

The auctioneer explained although the redheaded was small in height she had an hourglass figure meant to please any man, and pleasant face with big brown eyes, and that she would be a great prize for any businessman.

Yet like he couldn't mention she was immortal, and always healed if she was cut, but the auctioneer knew so he was looking to get a great deal of money for her that day. Gwenanosa wonder who were these two immortals among the bidder her, one was fat and looked like ever other brothel owner she had met, but the other was a tall thin man, with dark eyes and dark hair. He reminded her of her own people as there was a look of intelligent in his eyes. He spoke many languages, as he cast his lots for her, and Gwenanosa began to hope he would win the bidding. In the end the tall Immortal offered his camel along with the rest of his lot and he was handed the keys to her chains. The other Immortal was angry, and walked away, but she had a feeling it wasn't the last she see of him.

The wining bidder came to her offer her garment and unlocked her chains and saying quietly "I am Methos, your master, you will obey me. Do you know what you are?"

"I am immortal, I know we hunt out own kind, and I can not die unless you cut off my head. I know about the lighting, that with it we gain power and knowledge, and I know I can not have a child. Is there more to know my master Methos?" Gwenanosa said in a quite submissive tone.

"Much more," answered her new master.

The couple walked as far from the busy market as possible, only stopping to buy some food which Methos gave some to his new slave. They kept walk out the city gates to a farmer's grove where they finally sat and talked.

"I hear you have taken several heads, my dear, even in captivity, how strange is that. This thing you call the lighting is called the Quickening" Methos said "Where are you from, how long have you been captive, and by what name are you called?"

Gwenanosa saw the sword at his side and was wondered on how to get it away from Methos, but he hadn't harmed her yet, so she tried to answerer his question. Gwenanosa herself spoke many languages so finding one in common made communicating easy, but answering question wasn't so simple.

"Yes, I have taken a least twenty heads from men who wanted mine, they all thought I was innocent of their ways, I wasn't, expect for the first time and I took his weapons and he begged me not to take his head, so I did, and I experienced the lighting for the fist time."

"Yes as I mentioned that would be a Quickening" Methos repeated. "It's our life-force, every thing we know, our power, and our knowledge." Methos paused "Really you took twenty heads! I knew I felt a Quickening in you that looked stronger than this small body yours. Who are you really? Have you just been a slave a short time or for years?"

"I don't know how long it has been; one day my husband discovered that I couldn't die, and then he proceeded to killed me over and over again. After he had his fill killing me, he killed my parents called me a demon-ism and then sold me to the brothels in these far away lands. I have lost all count of time. Does land of the Queens and Kings of Minoan still exist? Which calendar do you use, what words do you use to write with?" She had so many questions to ask of her new master but he just shook his head and told her enough question for now. "But my master Methos may I ask you one another question? Why did you buy me? Do you want my Quickening too? I can fight you especially since you took my chains off." Gwenanosa stated plainly to him.

Methos laughed, "Oh you are a spirited one, it seem what ever time you spent in the brothels no one has tame you I see, no I don't want you head, if I did I would haven taken it my now. I bought you mostly because I didn't want that pig Jironos to get you, and it seemed a shamed to see you rot away like you were doing. So tell me before the sun sets what are you called?"

"I don't remember no one called me my name in hundreds of years I have only been call women, whore or worst." She said to Methos.

"Oh you look smarter to me than that; you have a passion inside you that I can feel." Methos said as he put his hand on her shoulder. "I doubt you ever forget anything. Listen to me I will not harm you, there is much more to learn, and I can teach you. That how it done, we find another Immortal who teaches us and we learn. I don't fight unless I am challenged, and prefer the company of our own kind, which can be dangerous sometimes, but all in all it better than spending time with the mortals. They only fear us and in the end want to kill us or think we are Gods. I think you had you fill of mortals, haven't you?" Methos said as he gently reached out and touched her check. Methos thought to himself (_yes I will train his girl, there is something different about her, and my brothers will not miss me for 5 or 10 years, I need a change and this fits the bill perfectly)_

"I am sickened by the company of mortals, my name is Gwenanovesevea, after my mother Gwenan, and the Goddess Ovesevea but my parents just called Gwenanosa and I was born in 2533 and died for the fist time in 2505." She said quietly.

"My the Gods your nearly as old as I am if you add on 1500 hundred more years, but that name will never do, how about I call you Gwennie. It's a simple and straight forward name. I don't think I can even pronounce that other name and your named after a Goddess well that will not do at all, even Gwenanosa has a little to of a special ring to it, people will think you royalty, then they will want to kidnap you and want a ransom, and I have nothing left, I spent it all on you, I had to toss in my favorite camel to get the deal." Methos chuckled.

"My parents were the high Priestesses and Priest who served the Royal house of Minoan; I was raised with royalty and am almost royalty myself I grew up wearing only purple and gold, taught in all things by the best teachers in the land." Gwennie stated firmly.

"Good for you, so after so many years nobody beaten your spirits out of you, for a little thing you show a lot of promise, now do you still think I am after you head?" Methos smiled.

"Yes" Gwennie said with conviction "there are only two things any man want from me, either my body or quickening"

Methos looked up to the sky and shook his head "what have I gotten myself in to, if you feel that way I release you, go on your own, and good luck. I have offered you to be my student only, I am not interested in being your lover, or your protector, and I sleep alone. Gwennie please realize I didn't buy you for my pleasure, or your head, but because I thought I saw something in you, an intelligence in your eyes, and I didn't want that pig Jironos to take your head. Oh don't think if you stay with me that there are not rules that must be followed, you will call me Master, and you will obey me, do you understand that?"

"Oh great Methos I am but your slave, do to me as thou will" Gwennie repeated back to Methos.

"Do not mock me girl" Methos commanded.

"Oh never my lord and master" Gwennie answered back.

"Gwennie, I have a suspicion that in the long run you are going to be a lot more trouble than your worth" Methos smirked back at her shaking his head in disapproval. "Lets rest now, we have a long journey ahead of us and in order to buy you I had to sell my camel, and I really liked that camel."

But Gwennie refused to stop the conversation she wanted to know more about her new master. "Where are you from Master?"

"Lots of places, you could say I have traveled a lot."

"Why did you come to my fair town?" Gwennie asked.

"I was told by a friend about a immortal who was sold in to the brothels over 450 years ago, he sent me to find out if she was still alive. I myself had heard stories of a whore who was an immortal. Then when I came to this village I saw another Immortal, bidding for you in the square. He is called Jironos and we both have heard the same stories, about you and knew you might be on sale today. Gwennie I think you took one too many heads in those brothels and word about you was beginning to spread. Others of our kind were becoming to become interested in you, and that not usually a good thing" Methos looked down, "I have lost a few friends of late, because word was spreading about then too. Now it's almost dark, I know you're still hungry, and you have a lot of question but we need to move as soon as there is light so pull up a rock and get some rest"

It was almost dawn when Gwen felt a strange feeling; she had felt it before always when another immortal who wanted her head was near. She shook Methos awake and he jumped up to his feet holding his sword in his hand. "Gwennie take this knife, I think we have company."

"Oh that what that feeling is about, telling us there are other around" she whispered.

"Go hide I bet its Jironos, he might have followed us." Methos commanded.

"NO, I will not hide" she wined

"You don't know the rules, your like fresh meat; I told you before Gwennie you would have to obey me. Now hide girl, or you just get in my way and help Jironos take my head." Methos snarled as he watched her hide behind a tree and some bushes. _(Not a very good start, this girl going to get me killed, why I did do this?) _

Jironos came up to Methos and said "Just give me the girl and I will leave you alone"

"Can't, I already took the girls head last night" Methos smiled back.

"I don't believe you, so prepare to die" issued Jironos

The two men ran at each other and swords stated to clan, Gwennie couldn't see anything from where she was but it didn't sound good, after a few minuets she heard Methos cry out in pain, and it was all she could stand. Gwennie stood up to see Jironos standing over her new teacher ready to chop his head off. She took aim and threw the knife right in to Jironos chest. He dropped like a log.

Methos who was on his hand and knees, looked up still a large amount of pain, and said "Gwennie you can't interrupt a challenge once it's been set in motion. But then again I not dead and I hadn't told you the rules yet, so let just call it even this time."

While Methos was getting up Gwennie grabbed his sword off the ground and ran to where Jironos body lay, Jironos was just awakening and she stood above him and said "You want to fight, me fight me!"

Methos shook his head "Gwennie you suicidal"

The big man pulled himself off the ground, tossed the knife out of hid gut behind him and smiled as he brought his sword to meet hers. Jironos laughed as he stood a foot taller than her and 200 pounds heaver. Jironos beat his sword against hers over and over again surprised at the girls strength, but he still knew the battle was almost won.

Methos just looked away thinking, (_she beautiful and needed my help, I have to stop this pattern with women, helping the beautiful helpless ones, its going to be the death of me. Yesterday has been in vain, this girl is just too problematical to train and maybe it's best for me, that she die now before I get attached to her.)_

Then suddenly Methos saw the knife that he had had given Gwennie earlier rise off the ground and in the air, where it stayed as if an unseen man was holding it, and then it slammed into Jironos back! Jironos cried in pain and fell over, onto his large belly. Gwennie advanced and with all her strength and a very hard swing chop his head off.

Methos could not believe his eyes, where did that knife come from? How did it rise in the air all by it self, and how was she doing that? Methos just backed up and avoided the quickening as best he could. Afterward Gwennie fell spent on the ground, looking up at the dawn.

"Well, that was different," Methos said as he bent down a hand to help Gwennie up. "I knew you were special, but I didn't expect that. Well get up girl we got to run the natives must have seen that quickening for miles on this open plain and they most likely think their Gods are angry at them. I think I saw a couple of horse in the next field, let us steal then and make a hasty retreat." Methos still couldn't believe his eyes, he had heard about Immortals that had mystic powers but until today he had never seen one.

"Oh Methos I can't believe I did that," Gwennie replied excitedly she had a smile on her face that ran ear to ear!

"I can't believe you did that either, now get up girl, I don't care how many quickening you get or how strange and mystical they are, the same rules apply as before, I am your MASTER, you will do what I say, now run to those horse before any mortals or other Immortals show up and make trouble for us." Methos paused he couldn't help smiling a bit too, but that didn't change the situation, Methos shouted at his protege. "GWENNIE THAT MEANS YOU!" Then looking around to make sure no one was following them Methos pulled his still smiling student off the ground and shacking his head with disprovable, he grabbed her by the hand and they ran together across the pasture both still laughing to steal their the mounts so they could ride off in to the new day and find their next adventure.

End chapter 4

**Watch for chapter 5 -** **The Man Who Said NO**


	5. Chapter 5

7

**Disclaimer: Highlander is the property of Davis-Panzer Productions. Gwen MacQueen and her assorted bunch of side kicks are mine. This is written only for entertainment no money has been exchanged.**

**Rated M for sexual situations and strong language.**

**I want to thank my beta reader R.J. Bingham **

**Chapter 5 **

**The Man Who Said NO**

Dawn was creeping in to the windows and the two watchers, decide to grab a nap, since Luke already had the sofa, Joe saw Gwennie was only taking up a quarter of Mac's King size bed so he laid down on the other side. The All-niter had be useful in gaining lots of information but now both of them were too sleepy to do anything with that info.

It must have been almost two pm when Joe stirred. Granted they were both fully clothed but he found himself cuddled up next to Gwennie with her head on his shoulder and his arms around her. Joe had to admit to himself it felt good holding her again. He looked for Luke and quietly called his name but he must have left the Loft while they were sleeping. Gwen started to awaken, but she didn't seem interested in pulling away from Joe. Slowly she opened her eyes and looked up at him and smiled.

"You know all we did was sleep and cuddle," Joe spoke softly

"I know but this dose feel right doesn't it Joe, no one is here, and I have missed you so much, lets make love, we are so good together" Gwen answered.

"You don't know how many times I dreamed about having you right here in my arms." Joe said, and then he kissed her softly at first then with more passion. "Gwen, you know I can't make love to you, even if I want to, with all this watchers killing immortals your too vulnerable right now, it wouldn't be right." Joe said still holding her tightly next to himself. "Luke told me a story about you, and how you became an Immortal. That your own husband killed you, and then kept on killing you. Then Luke said your husband killed your adopted parents and took you far away to sell you into slavery as a whore to work in brothels for centuries. Then, one day Methos bought you at a slave market bidding against another Immortal. Methos had to take that other Immortal's head and steal a couple of horses in order for the two of you to get out of town. Is the story really true?"

"NO! That conceited bastard Methos must have told someone his own version of the story! I took Jironos's head; Methos would have died that day if I hadn't killed Jironos! You know how in 4200 years stories can get all mixed up." Gwen stated back at Joe.

Joe looked at Gwen with a bit of shock in is eyes "I see that the only part you are worried about is who got credit for knocking off the bad guy, Gwen you are impossible!" Joe said releasing her from his arms and moving a few inches away from Gwen, he was angry and had an expression of disgust on his face. "Immortals you're all alike, why would I think you are different. I hear a bleeding heart story about betrayal and centuries of pain and unimaginable suffering and all you care about is who gets the quickening!"

"It was so long ago, I prefer not to remember back then or recount that story, and Luke had no right to tell it to you, it's a private matter. I never told him either so someone is in trouble! I was bitter and angry back then, I blamed all mortal men for what only a few had done. Methos did save me from that life and taught me the ways of an immortal and how to use a sword. Joe I try not to think about those days." Gwen said.

"So just tell me is the story true?"

"Maybe, I don't know what Luke told you, but yes what you said did happen, only much worst and it went on for so very long, but I learned from my experiences and survived." Gwen said quietly.

"I don't see how an experience like that couldn't have affected you in a negative way especially toward mortal men" Joe took a deep breath. "Luke seems to think that our one night stand made me your first mortal lover since those days, that's simply impossible Gwen"

"No Luke is right, you are really the first mortal I took as a lover who I didn't have an alternative agenda with. I just felt comfortable with you. I know that sounds crazy to you Joe but you don't understand I had built very high walls around my heart, and didn't let anyone in. Gwen paused as a tear ran down her cheek. "That was until I met you, Joe you are the only other person who has broke down those wall. You are the only Mortal that has touched my soul." Gwen smiled.

Joe was a bit shocked to hear this, why would this beautiful intelligent immortal women choose him after 4000 year of rejecting all other mortal men. Then he spoke softly to Gwen "I know what its like to build walls around your heart, after I lost my legs I did the same thing, but why would you let some old broken down war horse like me past your walls, when you never let any other mortal in the last 4000 years, Gwen it doesn't make any sense to me."

"Joe, remember that night, and you just thought I was like any other women. You sang songs to me, you opened your heart up to me like no one has done before, it was magical. Something inside of me, just melted the rage I had towards mortal men away with each song you sang. The pain of the past just dissolved away too and I felt safe and loved. Really for the first time in almost 4500 years. It was almost like I was a young girl again meeting my first love all over again, its hard to explain Joe, didn't you feel anything yourself?" Gwen asked.

"Yes. Of course I did, you have breached the wall around my heart too." And Joe reached over and gave Gwen another deep kiss. His lips opened to hers and the tongues drank in one another. Joe held her in his arms for a moment thinking. "But I think we have a problem Gwen, things aren't looking very good right now, besides Gwen your life is just too complicated at this instant. If you and I got involved like that again, it would just make things even more complicated. As much as I would love having you in my life I don't think it would be right for either one of us right now."

"Yea and last time you were used as bait so another Immortal, could try to take my head, your right, this relationship is just rife with complications. Oh I am sorry Joe the last thing I ever wanted was to see you get hurt." Gwen said tenderly and held him closer touch in all the right places to send a shiver down his spine. She stated to undue his belt buckle but Joe shook his head no and intertwined her hands in his, then looking her straight in ti his eyes his face softened as he tried to explained himself to her.

"For crying out loud, that's not the reason, Gwen, try to understand, I think I have fallen for you too. Christ I can't stop thinking about you, but it's just not right for us to get involved, one of us has to be realistic and that one is me. Gwen try to rap you head around the concept I'm trying to tell you we not getting involved because I do care for you, because all it would do is complicate both our lives. Hasn't anyone ever said NO to you before?" Joe looked into her eyes as he asked her the question.

"No not that I can remember. But please Joe reconsider, we could go live in Bora Bora for ten or twenty years? But I suppose you're right we better put this whole romance on hold until we solve this problem with Carol and the renegade watchers" Gwen said as she let go of his hands got up out of bed giving Joe a long sad look.

"Oh the sun, the sand, the beach might not be so bad; we could open up a blues club there and entertain the tourists. Gwen as much as I do care for you we just have to let our personal feeling go. I have thought about it a lot, you have no idea how much I really want you, and I do think I have fallen in love with you. Unfortunately this isn't something we should do." Joe sadly put a smile on his face he sat up and gently kissed on the cheek her one more time. "I am so sorry Gwen. Really no one ever said no to you before, EVER?" The prospect boggled Joe's mind.

Gwen got up and walked across the room, "Hey I disagree, but really its OK Joe let's get back to the business at hand, its OK don't worry about me. Methos says I am like a walking aphrodisiac, and what you're feeling probably isn't even real, it's all tied in to that mystic stuff I have, sorry to zap you Joe. Don't worry your not in love with me. You just think you are, when this is over the feelings will fade." She smiled at him and tried to make Joe feel everything was her fault, but inside her core she was sad knowing this thing with Joe wasn't to be, and could have been the most important relationship she had made in years and one she had longed for since the time she was still mortal.

"Well you didn't zap me Gwen, and you are not a walking aphrodisiac either. My feelings are my own business! The feeling I have for you are the same they were a year ago so Methos is full of shit! I just think you are not used to being around grown up adult men, who have to make tough adult decisions. Damn immortals, I think just because they can live forever, most of them never act like adults. I have to get back on the phone and maybe Luke will be back soon." Joe said as he got up adjusted his belt and walked over to the desk.

The two souls who where so entangled moments before were miles apart in the same room.

A few moments later Luke and Barney came up the elevator, with his hands full of groceries, "Hungry any one?" Luke called out.

"Barney I thought I told you to get back to LA! What are you doing here?" Gwen asked her friend,

"Hey be happy I brought some of your luggage! I know it's like manna from heaven to you Gwen, hell you are the type of lady who is lost unless she has at lest 10 changes of clothes with her at all times." Barney smiled. "I even brought your favorite boots and that leather trench coat you love so much. Do your thing lady, jump in the shower get dressed and make yourself beautiful. Oh I brought that 15th century sword and knife set you adore too" Gwen rushed up to kiss Barney on the cheek, "I'm telling you guys you all missed the boat because you weren't raised by an Immortal. Just the extra history lessons from her and her friends got me straight A's in my undergraduate degree in history."

The foursome all laughed, and Gwen ran off to shower and change. Luke cooked some lunch while chatting with Barney. The Happy face that Barney had around Gwen faded and he got serious with Luke. "Luke you know I am one of the only persons Carol will not kill and I might be able to reason with her. She is still in love with me, I am sure of this, you have to let me get involved with your watcher friends. I can help defuse this, Carol and her friends will kill you, Gwen or anyone else."

While Gwen was in the shower Joe told Barney and Luke he was going back to his place to freshen up, in truth he wanted to escape the loft before Gwen reappeared. Joe had escaped one encounter with Gwen but he doubted he could be so noble if Gwen made another play for his affections. More than anything he did not want to be the adult, not to be the man in change of his emotions. Joe wanted to break down and sweep Gwen in to his arms and make mad passionate love to her. So Joe bid the men good afternoon and was gone down the elevator to his own home when he could take a cold shower and live out the words he had so nobility said.

"OK Barney that maybe true but still we just can't let you go out and talk to her, she's our problem and we have to stop her." Luke handed Barney a sandwich, "I am sure your help will be invaluable, just don't go storming off by yourself promise me?"

Gwen joined Luke and Barney looking more like her usual self again, except for the fact her hair was cut short, falling just above her shoulders. She had rinsed all the black dye out of her red hair. She was dressed in her favorite boots, jeans, and green blouse and for the first time since Michelle died she felt and looked like herself. After lunch Gwen took out the 15th century sword and swished it in the air a few times, it felt good in her hands.

Just as Gwen finished swishing the sword, she felt the buzz of an Immortal coming to the door. "We have an Immortal visitor, who is going to get the door?"

"No one has to get the door, because I have a key" Methos called out as he entered the room. "Gwennie you look stunning, like your self again, amazing what a bite to eat and a good nights sleep can do, oh and Gwennie in your case, I see someone brought your luggage. My goodness women what happened to the days you just needed a tunic your sword, a couple of knifes and maybe a horse?"

"Methos didn't we try to tell you to go away, this isn't a safe situation, and heads have been lost, that's usually your cue to exit stage right. But thanks for the compliment" Gwen smiled.

"Well I did a bit of my own research and I think I know who the rest of the renegade watchers are and where they are holding up, hey I am a watcher too, and where did Joe go?" Methos asked.

"Home to shave, shower, change, you know the drill," Luke said. Then Methos filled Luke in on the information he had about who the renegade watchers where and where they might be at. Luke ask him "I thought you were staying with Joe?"

"No, I moved to the Radisson, I figured as long as everyone knows that I have a larger bank account than my watchers salary suggests, I might as well be comfortable." Methos scoffed back at the group. "Gwennie, why don't we go for a walk so we can have a talk with a bit more privacy?"

"She's not going anywhere with you." Barney and Luke said almost at the same time.

Methos just shook his head and sat down "I really would prefer to talk to Gwennie alone, hey guys she's a big girl, I have known her a long time, and neither of us have lost out heads when we were out together. So why don't you let the lady answer for herself." Methos paused and looked her right in the eyes, "Gwennie?" He said as he gave her his best puppy dog look, shrugged his shoulders, and had that cute smile on his face Gwen knew so well.

Gwen knew Methos had something up his sleeve, he was a tricky old bastard, who often had a hidden agenda, but she was curious to see what he was up to so she reassured the group. "Hey guys its like he said, we are just going for a walk, and it's not the first time Methos and I have faced danger together. Anyway I think we'll just go to Starbucks and get some coffee, we will be back soon. Really how many bad things can happen at Starbucks, gee this place is getting kind of stuffy anyway." Gwen informed Barney and Luke.

Methos smiled as Gwen put on her long leather coat and inserted her new sword in its special place, and then took Methos by the hand. He suggested that they take a couple of pieces of her luggage with them, one never knows when she might need a change, and Gwen agreed and walked out of the loft.

The couple walked down to Methos SUV and he opened the passenger door for her, and then got in himself. "So where are we going Methos, and why the hell are you so nice to me" she smiled at him.

"Can't a guy be nice to an old friend, but you're more than just an old friend. Actually I owe you an apology for my behavior, yesterday. Since Alexa died I have gotten rather condescending. I knew she was dying the whole time but I was surprised when she finally did. Gwennie, you never married a mortal, the relationship, is hard to explain, it is very different from the relationship you and I have shared. You see they all are dying from the first moment we meet them, maybe that's why it makes the love affair so intense. I always know it's not going to last. However I can always see the world anew through their eyes, it's very special."

"I see where this is all going Methos, you're going to tell me to call it off with Joe, well don't worry Joe already decided, it's just not a good time for us and we need to rethink the situation. If that's the only reason you wanted to have a private talk with me, let's get that Starbucks coffee and get back, you did promise me Starbucks coffee didn't you?"

"No you were the one who brought up Starbucks, but Gwennie it sounds like you and Joe made the right decision I agree, and the climate with the watchers is changing and I doubt they approve of him having anything to do with you. No offense darling it's not about you personally. But that's not what I really wanted to talk to you about, but I am glad you brought it up." Methos said as he looked for a parking place at Starbucks.

"Methos I am irritated with you about something, I don't like it you circulating a story that when we first met you took Jironos's head and not me! Are you rewriting those chronicles just so no one will ever know what really happened?"

"Gwennie who cares who really took who's head 4200 years ago, you're just as crazy as ever! Why don't we just go to Bora Bora for 20 or 30 years, it would be fun, we could live on the beach and make love all day just like in the old days."

"Methos I Can't believe you just said that, besides I already asked Joe to go to Bora Bora with me and he said no,"

"Good that leaves it open for us to go." Methos grinned.

"OK now you're acting comical, lets get our coffee and tell me what's so important, last time I saw you, you told me to stay out of your life for at least fifteen years now you're ready to go to Bora Bora with me?"

"OK I want a Cappuccino how about you, I love this place, it's got so much caffeine presented in so many ways." Methos said as he looked at the menu "what do you want I will even buy, can you smell the coffee! Then we can go back to my hotel room and I will spill the beans, I promise, but I still think Bora Bora is always a good suggestion, don't you?" he smiled still teasing Gwennie.

Well Methos with his Cappuccino and Gwennie with her machicolate, walked in to Methos room at the Radisson. "Nice room, I think it's large enough for us to have a practice session here," she smiled."

"Hell no, the way you fight, I will have to pay some security deposit for damages. Gwennie you're on a caffeine high, you suggest that again and I am cutting you off from the Starbucks. I had something else in mind; I thought we might play a game of chess." He said as he showed her the board set up on a table with two comfortable chairs.

"Methos, A game of Chess?" Gwennie said with shock in her voice. "Well after 4200 years you still surprise me, I don't think we have time for a game of chess! Carol and her renegade watcher could find the guys at Mac's Loft or be killing another immortal right now. You as usual are not taking this very seriously."

"Gwennie I am taking this situation extremely seriously, but you need to understand something and by playing a simple game of chess I think I can convey a concept to you." Methos pulled out a chair for her.

"You want white or Black" Gwen asked already knowing the answer.

"Gwennie you're testing me, you know I always take white, you're not going to get out of here with the information you want unless you play this game of chess with me." Methos looked at her with one of those glares she had almost forgotten, the ones he gave her after his plans had gone astray because of her interference.

Well there wasn't much left to do, she knew this man too well and he was the only person she knew who was more stubborn than herself, so she sat in the chair and looked at the board. "who goes first." She asked, fully knowing Methos had the first move.

End of chapter 5

**Next chapter 6 - **

**The Games People Play**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Methos, Joe, Richie, and Duncan Macleod are the property of Rysher Entertainment and Davis-Panzer Productions. Gwen MacQueen and her assorted bunch of side kicks are mine. **

**I want to thank my beta reader R.J. Bingham. You can find all his works in my favorite authors, I highly recommend all his stories.**

**Chapter 6**

**The Games People Play**

"Gwennie start thinking! You are needlessly throwing away your pawns again," Methos growled at her "When was the last time you played chess, it used to be your favorite game."

"Darius and I played a lot during World War I; while he was teaching me modern linguistics, also Barney liked to play it with me when he was on the chess team in school." Gwennie smiled when she thought of Barney's childhood. "Actually Barney was very good at chess and captain of the team at Yale. But I haven't played since I started MacQueen Associates, so say twelve, thirteen years ago or so"

"That jet set lifestyle keeping you pretty busy I see, I hear you're even in the top 100 companies on the stock exchange." Methos pointed out to her.

"Well with today's business environment that's not too difficult, I am very good at what I do, and anyway it's not like I don't keep my sword arm up to strength and work out physically with my martial arts training, but I have to admit I'm a bit rusty at playing strategy games." Gwennie said trying to figure out what he was really talking about.

"My point exactly!" Methos bewailed her, "you are about to lose that knight in one more move."

"Methos I don't see the point to this!"

"That is the very point my dear, I am trying to teach you, frankly. Gwennie you don't see the point!" Methos said in an annoyed tone. "You are losing your edge. How have you lived these past 80 or so years? Oh yes you're a big shot in the business world, which only puts you out there even more in the public eye. You Gwennie are becoming an open target. You can't expect me to come save your ass like I did last summer because I am not going to do it again. You are good Gwennie, but those mystic powers will only take you so far, you have to think and use that pretty little head of yours, or you will lose it. So that means you need to develop more strategies. If you had, this current situation would never have happened."

"Are we just playing this game so you can mess with my head, or is this one of your deep dark strategies to motivate me to do something for you?" Gwennie asked remembering all the times Methos had manipulated her in the past.

"Think about the chess game, you have to stay five moves ahead of your opponent. Right now you're so worried about protecting your king, your losing all your other pieces, it's about perspective. During all that time you spent with the good father Darius, you seem to have internalized that crap Darius was selling. His give peace a try, save mankind, and peace on earth. Gwennie you are too involved with the mortals to see your real place on the chess board. You always thought you were above mortals now you're considering putting them before yourself."

"I can't let people I care about die because of my actions." Gwennie replied.

"That never stopped you before!" Methos said with cold harshness in his voice.

"I have changed Methos, you must have too that was a long time ago." Gwennie said as she looked in to his cold dark eyes.

"No you haven't, you are still the same selfish bitch, that wild, wonderful, beautiful, crazy, women who wanted to live forever and would do anything to stay alive. You would be dead by now if you weren't. You are still just like me." His eyes were still looking at her like two cold hard daggers. "Now stop talking and concentrate on the game and stop losing, Gwennie you used to beat the pants off me during our chess games"

"Methos, stop it, the way you're talking I don't know who you are any more."

"You are the one who's chitchatting like some silly girl, keep it up and I will have you start calling me Lord and Master again. You're wrong you know me better than anyone, you just wanted to forget, but you're like an elephant you never forget anything, except what you find convenient to forget." He blasted back at her

"You can't talk to me like that." Gwennie said with rage growing in her voice.

"Why not? Gwennie you're the one who is being a brat! On the other hand maybe you have forgotten what it takes to just survivor, remember all those centuries ago you lived as a whore, but you didn't let it touch your life as an immortal and you came out fighting, but in eighty plus years as a feminist business women you totally changed your way of thinking. Keep it up and you will soon be totally dead. Now SHUT UP AND PLAY THE GAME, it's your move." Methos snapped back at her.

Just then the phone rang; Methos rolled his eyes and got up to answer it while pointing to Gwennie to stay put. "Hello Adam Pierson speaking." Then there was a long uncharacteristic silence as Methos listened to the person on the other end of the phone. Then he replied. "OK Joe I got it, don't worry about her, she's fine and I think we'll be here for quite a while yet." Then he went quiet again. "It's not what you think! You're a dirty old man, if you must know we are playing chess and yes we both have our clothes on. Honestly Joe I don't know where you get these ideas!"

Gwen was trying to imagine what Joe was saying she could only hope Methos would tell her and stop being the chess Nazi, but she had a feeling there was no getting out of this room until Methos had made his point.

Methos continued on the phone with. "Tell Dana, Bill, Luke and Barney I will be there in the morning, tell Barney to stay away from the Radisson and we are working on a plan and will get back to you in the morning. Goodnight Joe." And Methos hung up the phone. "That was Joe" he said as he retuned to the table.

"Duh!" Which was followed by a long awkward silence which wasn't broken until Gwennie finally said "The Starbucks been gone hours, how about something to drink, does this room come with one of those fancy bars with the little bottles of booze in it?

"Yes but I'm not a corporate executive on an expense account, like you, so I brought a couple of bottles of whisky and stashed it in the dresser. I have to go to the can anyway so I will pick up a couple of glasses there, you better not move any of my pieces I know where all of them are," Methos said smiling. "And Gwennie its still your move."

Well at least Joe's phone call had broken the tension a bit. Gwen was trying to figure out what exactly the master strategist was trying to teach her. She remembered back to the days when she was still Methos's student and all the times he insisted on teaching her strategies that she found ridiculous, for a women who was a foot shorter than him and over 75 pounds lighter. She was always headstrong and foolhardy and she stopped counting the many times Methos admonished her for not obeying him. She was laughing to herself as he returned to the table with the glasses and a bottle of whisky.

"What are you laughing about, frankly I don't see anything funny here, it's not as if we are getting anywhere as of yet." Methos complained.

"You have me remembering those days shortly after we met, when I wouldn't pay attention to hardly anything you told me to do" Gwennie said sill laughing.

"And you thought that was funny? Have a drink Gwennie. All I thought was why on earth I took on this impossible woman as a student. Then Kronos showed up and he just told me to take your head so we could ride. He wasn't happy when I didn't, but Silas came that same afternoon and you had him eating out of your hand, and Kronos was out voted. But I have to admit Kronos loved your floating knife trick, and the way you got mortals to follow you around to do your bidding. He almost was ready to drum you in as a member of the group. He would have too but you wouldn't share your favors with him. I actually believe now that you set up one of your voodoo spells on me to cause that argument between me and Kronos where I almost took his head. If Silas hadn't broken it up well the four horse men may never had ridden. It was almost as if Kronos and you had a grudge match with each other, but he still would not take your head, he tried to get anyone else to, but he wouldn't do it. I never understood what was going on between you two, and you would never tell me." Methos reminisced.

Methos poured them both a glass of whisky and handed it to Gwennie as she said "Your right Kronos always had something against me, I thought it was that I took up too much of you're time and was very jealous because he knew I would never have him in my bed. Remember later that day you and I took off in the opposite direction to Silas and Kronos, but you went back to them less than twenty years later after Caspian joined their band and I headed up north to get as far away from you all as I could."

They both downed their glasses of whisky and Methos poured them another. "Gwennie I just never really understood why you just didn't like Kronos and flipped out when I told you, I was joining up with him again. He was my Brother, I knew him before I knew you, Gwennie you know you could have come with me, and Kronos promised me he would never take your head. We sealed it in blood, and you were perfectly safe. In fact it was he who sent me to find you in the first place. I was supposed to bring you right back to him but instead I took you for a student and we hung around for 40 or 50 years, he was very angry at first when we showed up so late."

Gwennie grabbed the bottle away from him and drank out of it, then handed it back to him saying "I didn't want to lose a best friend and lover, to that murderous pig Kronos. He was angry I would not bed him, he always thought he was the center of the universe besides you would do anything he said, except for, maybe, kill me. I am not one who enjoyed killing women and children; I wasn't Death on a horse."

"Except you were busy bedding most every other immortal you took a fancy to. I really don't understand why you refused Kronos? I remember you and Silas spending a few nights together too." Methos paused, "OK don't look at me that way you started it so let's get in to a comparison of ethics of how we were back then. You didn't want to kill the mortals; you just wanted then to worship you. You kept most of them alive but made them your slaves. Oh were our mind-sets really miles apart? We both still cared nothing for the people we enslaved or murdered; was there really that much of a difference between us back then? Not really." Methos took a swig out of the bottle also and continued "Let's look at why we gave up those life choices? Gee they were bringing us too much attention from the other immortals who were become too interested in us. Like I said before we are more alike than you want to admit, above all we both survived." Methos drank his glass of whisky and poured himself another. "Gwennie you still haven't moved your piece, is it to be the bishop, your last knight, one of the three pawns you have left, or maybe that queen? Your indecision will keep us at this game all night."

"Yes I will move my Queen," Gwennie said as she reached over and touched Methos's face softly caressing his cheek after she moved her queen.

Methos cried out "Gwennie that is a risky move and stop trying to distract me!" I have to think, it's my move now.

"What about staying five steps ahead of your opponent." Gwennie said as she got up and stood behind her former teacher and massaged his shoulders, he moaned and said "stop it now you are ruining the game" but he didn't attempt to stop her. After a while she put her arms around his chest and gave him soft kisses on his neck working to his mouth.

They had fought all day and he was ready to surrender to her sweet touch. Maybe it was the whisky, maybe it was the old memories, and maybe it was just like Joe said an old habit, two familiar bodies coming together like they had thousand of times before. However Methos and Gwennie found peace at least for a while as the two became one and shared a sweet time of passion.

Methos said. "Oh damn Gwennie you win lets go to bed." as he got up from his seat and picked her up in his arms. Then they both looked deeply in to each others eyes and smiled as he carried her off to the king size bed and laid her down upon it. "We really shouldn't do this again, but Hell I have missed you."

"I have missed you too my lord and master. Now come on to me and forget the day, and let us make love until dawn." she said as she kissed him and the lovers reunited again as they have done a thousand times in blissful joy and harmony at being in the arms and holding someone you have cared about for eon's.

The night of pillow talk between Methos and Gwennie had convinced her, what had to be done. Early that morning she stepped out of the shower with her usual towel toga around her, but instead of him complaining about her attire Methos called her back to bed. "Come here I want to anoint you with oil, since this is the last day Gwen MacQueen will be on this good green earth, at least she should go out in style."

"I love it when you slip back in to your Egyptian mode, those days with you as the pharaoh's architect and me tutoring his children, were some of our happiest days. Methos how come you always claim to be the uberman cynic, ultimate survivor but from what I heard about you and Alexa, you opened your self up to a new world of pain and grief."

"Just be quiet for once and let me do this," Methos said as he rubbed the scented oil on Gwennie that smelled like herbs mixed with sweet flowers. Then he posed a question to her. "Do you still think of me as a romantic?"

"Yes, but I always tried to tell myself no, that you're a heartless bastard that still thinks he can tell me what to do, where to go and who to be, but every time I am with you, Methos you still are the same crazy romantic who bought me from the Brothel because it seemed a shame to see me rot there."

Methos breathed deeply and shook his head with one of those half smiles he wore so often. "You always were the drama queen, but I want you to know that a lot of thing that happened to me over the past year were because of you Gwenanosa. You remind me of days gone by when life had a lot more magic in it. I don't think I would have seen that special spark that Alexa had in her if you hadn't reminded me to start living again and not just be the ultimate survivor. I am sorry I have to do the opposite for you. But you do know you have to give up this identity, and break the ties you have made. It's the only thing that will really get you out of this situation." Methos softly said as he continued to rub her body with the scented oil.

"Are you sure Carol Wright will not hurt Barney? I hate to leave this life it's been a blast being Gwen MacQueen, but as you said I groomed Barney for taking over the Company, it should be his. Lucky I already have monies in a Swiss back account. Hey you never call me Gwenanosa; I thought you had forgotten my real name"

"Hush Gwenanosa." Methos said as he stopped massaging her and slipped his body close to hers, then taking her in his arms; he kissed her passionately. Both of them knew this was the last time they might be together for an unknown stretch of years so they gave themselves to each other. She held him close so Methos could smell all the sweet oil he had rubbed into her soft skin and she continued her massage on all his most sensitive parts. His passion rose to meet hers and he reached down and parted her legs to touch that bundle of nerves that Methos knew would drive Gwennie to distraction. They kissed holding each other with one hand and caressing each other with the other. Their foreplay went on until Gwennie looked him in the eyes and cried stop, barely, controlling herself, and begged him to come into her. Methos laughed it was as if time had stood still and all the feelings he had ever felt for Gwennie had awakened and were the same as when they first held each other. For this moment they were the only people in the world and Methos was planning on holding on to this moment for as long as he could.

**End**** chapter six**

**Look for Chapter 7 **

**The first of a thousands nights**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:**** Highlander is the property of Davis-Panzer Productions. Gwen MacQueen and her assorted bunch of side kicks are mine. **

**I want to thank my beta reader ****R.J. Bingham. You can find all his works in my favorite authors, I highly recommend all his stories.**

**Chapter 7**

**The First of a Thousands Nights**

The next morning back at Joe Bar the watcher gathered. Adam Person came through the door about nine am and after saying his hello's to the crowd that had gathered and sharing a quick cup of coffee with then to discuss the currents events. Then Adam quietly slipped into Joe's office for a private talk.

Joe admonished him and said "Adam you didn't call me back last night, so I presume you and Gwen spent the night together."

"What the matter with you Joe, jealous? I had to work out a plan and convince her that it had to happen just as I said, lives are at stake here and we have to stop these watcher from killing Immortals. Now the only loose cannon here is Connor MacLeod, do his watches know where he is?" Adam was in no mood for a discussion of his love life.

Joe realized as long as the two of them we alone in his office he was talking to Methos, the 5,000 year old Immortal and not his friend Adam Pierson, the milder mannered watcher who spent most of is time reading dusty old book. "They are not sure, Connor been playing cat and mouse games with them since he left the Loft. Now you're going to tell me about your big plan you've cooked up, since at the moment you seem like the guy calling all the shots." Joe responded back to angrily. "It would have been nice of you to keep me in the loop since I am the regional coordinator here!" Joe raised his voice angrily at Methos

"Ok Joe just cool down, sorry, I am just trying to keep everyone alive, including our favorite fashionista lady Immortal. It took me half the night to convince her how it had to go down." Adam emotionally spit back at him.

"Yea well I would like to know just how it's going down too, I have room full watchers out there who think I have all the answers." Joe said as he pointed to himself, he was getting even angrier at Methos.

"Well Gwennie contacting Barney, and she and he are going to meet up with Carol and her group tonight."

"You are just trying to get her Killed! You are one son of a bitch"

"Well Gwen MacQueen going to die tonight but not Gwennie. Joe you worry too much, you really think I do would do anything to get Gwennie killed? Relax as soon as she knows where the renegade's watchers are either she or Barney will call us and we all are going be there too. No one really has to die, except maybe." Methos silence was pregnant with possibilities.

"There is another immortal hiding in the renegade watcher ranks RIGHT? Where did you get this information from" Joe asked.

"After looking at the names you found of the possible suspects of renegade watchers one rang a bell. Simon Willis, there was an Immortal named Simon Wilson who just dropped off the map about two years ago. His watch reported no Quickening, no fight, nothing. The watcher did see an encounter between Simon Willis and Carol Wright around the same time. What those two were discussing we can only guess at. I know this because I had a football match with his watcher the day after he saw those two together and mentioned it to me in passing while we were playing. Well then a month or so later this Simon Wilson joins up with the watchers, with recommendations from whom else but, Carol Wright. The guy looks almost the same. But the real surprising part of all of this is that Simon Willis watcher died the day after the football match when his house caught on fire and most of our records we have on Simon Wilson were burned in the same fire. Well at the time I didn't know Carol Wright was Gwennie watcher, I didn't even know Gwennie was alive. I just thought it strange that any watcher was meeting up with an immortal. So I investigated it right away and I found Wilson along with a few other immortals hiding as watchers too." Methos gave Joe a guilty look. "Well I went digging aground. I am just trying to avoid the others."

"You are quite the researcher Adam; you really need to tell me later who these guys are. Now that you mention it I remember Connor McLeod saying that there was another Immortal in the woods when he first came to the Loft. As I Recall, it was when he was telling us about Gwennie's cell phone message. When you came to the Loft Connor probably assumed the other Immortal was you, and dismissed it; he doesn't know you are not the outdoorsman type, more the four star hotel type." Joe said with a sarcastic tone in his voice.

"Yea Joe, I think I had too much of sleeping in the great outdoors back in the BC days." Methos said flatly.

Joe just shook his head, some day it was hard to believe what Methos was saying, but for Gwen's sake he tried to rap his head around all this new information. "Is Gwen still at the Radisson, and what room are you in; when I called last night they gave me the penthouse? My God you are an egotist Methos; can I at least call her and talk to her?"

"No you can't, and Joe I am Adam Pierson."

"When we walk out that door you will be Adam Pierson again, right now I know who I am dealing with and it's a 5,000 year old Immortal named Methos. Damnit you're some kind of uberman cynic who thinks you have done it all and know just how best to micro manage every situation." Joe shot back at him as he tapped his finger on his desk.

"It's not what you are thinking Joe, right now Gwennie saying good-by to Barney and working out what and how thing are going to go down tonight. After tonight neither one of us is going to see her again for a very long time."

"And who the Bastard who's decide that this is the way things have to be?" Joe shot back at him.

"It is me Joe. I'm the Bastard who's deciding that is the way things have to be and I know exactly what I am doing. Joe, please just for a minuet stop being a Northwestern Regional head of the watchers and just be my friend like you used to be and make an effort to understand my side of this." Methos said as he paced about the small room.

Joe took a seat on the sofa; he had a feeling this was going to take a while.

Methos looked Joe in the eyes as he leaned on the desk, talking with his hands as he always did. "I thought that she was dead for over 2000 years, then I found out last spring, to my surprise she was alive. The only choice I had then was to push her away, and now she showed up a year later and it's got too happen the same way all over again." Methos gave Joe a long hard look and tossed his hands in the air. "Do you think it easy for me to rekindle all those memories I have with her, knowing all the time I just had to just give her up? With Alexa, I knew she was dieing. I knew we didn't have much time together but we still made the most of every moment we had. I fought for every split second of life we had together and now I know she gone forever. But with Gwennie I know she there and I can't be alone with her again. I can't even touch her hand, or run my fingers through her hair or even smelling that soft exotic scent she always wears." He now was pacing around the room and continued his speech "If I went back to her I would lose my place in the watchers. But let say I did and the two of us decide to be together again, we would attract too much attention from the others it's not like it was back before photos and bar codes were invented it would put both of us both in too much danger." Methos paused, he looked like a man who someone had just ripped out his heart, and then he resumed with a strained voice and looked straight in to Joe's eyes. "Joe, you don't understand, it was so much easier when I thought she was dead, I had grown to be at peace with that. However, now I know Gwennie's out there and I can't even touch her, and every time I smell lilacs it will make me crazy thinking about her." Methos shook his head and looked at Joe "Sorry Joe there is so much you don't know, so many things I can't tell you," he said in a passionate voice as he took a hard deep breath, he knew he had reveled too much of himself to Joe just then, he thought as he sat down in the big leather desk chair and closed his eyes for a moment. "Joe You got anything to drink back here?"

Joe countenance softened, he realized that his friend was in pain. He himself had been so caught up in this whole situation he never realized that Methos was a man similar to himself, a passionate man who tried to bury his emotions deep inside himself. Did living through 5,000 years make it easier to make rational decisions about a topic as highly charged as love? On the surface it appeared so, but underneath Joe thought maybe not, maybe Methos was just like the rest of us. Except for the fact immortals were better at lying to themselves than mortals were, because of the amount of time they had lived they had more practice at it.

"Sure Adam the whiskey is in the top draw, next to the shot glass, take you time buddy, but I better get out there before the others think we are stating to go steady." Joe said as patted his friends shoulder and left the office closing the door behind him.

Methos poured himself a shot and downed it quickly, then repeated this over a few more times before putting the bottle back in the drawer. He had to get himself together. This show of emotion would not do, Adam Pierson, wasn't the type of guy to get all worked up over a situation like this. He put his feet up on the desk leaned back in the comfortable leather chair and closed his eyes. He and Gwennie had barely slept last night and he had been running on adrenalin for hours now. His thoughts were swirling and the drifted back to time long ago. The time months after he had first rescued Gwennie from the Brothels, back to time when he first fell in love with her.

*****flashback*****

**2053 BC**

"Gwennie, we must sell your horse in the next town we come to, we simple have nothing left to trade with, we will have double up and you can ride with me." Methos said as they finished watering the horse at the small stream they just ridden up to. The day was bright and sunny and Methos thought he would never forget the sweet smell of field of lilacs and wild flowers that was growing next to them. Unfortunately they couldn't eat flowers and there empty bellies were groaning; even the small game seemed scarce in these parts.

"Methos why do you want to sell my horse?" Gwennie complained, "I am a better rider than you, did you know I learned to ride when I was four, and by the time I was fifteen I could out ride almost any one in the kingdom."

"Yes you have told me several times, and that is MASTER to you. Do not ask stupid questions girl, you weigh nothing and can sit next to me, on my mount. We need supplies and frankly I don't care what you did as a teenager. It's your sword arm I am interested in and since we are sharing a sword at the moment that's a problem, so we need money." Methos growled back at her. "You should have taken Jironos sword"

"I couldn't lift it" Gwennie Paused cleared her throat and finally with a fake smile on her face said "Master". Then after picking some of the flowers and putting a few of the lilacs and wild flowers her hair she said, "Master you know that sword was nearly as large as he was. But I retrieved your knife and two that he had, one was quite sharp and I used it to skin that rabbit that we ate yesterday."

"Well two knifes are not going to help you keep your head against a man with a sword even if one is sharp." Methos laughed at his student. It was as if every thing she saw was new, bright and beautiful. He had been feeling a bit cynical after over a 1,500 years, some days he thought that nothing would ever be new again but when he look at the world through Gwennie's eyes the world was different. There were things to laugh about again, new sights, smells and sounds everywhere. Methos wondered what was the thing that made this girl so very different, was it just her magic, or was it something else? They had been together almost three months now; fortunately they had not met any other Immortals. Methos Looked a Gwennie and commanded her "Now get up on that nag and If I remember right there is a town due west, a couple of leagues from here, we will sell that horse, find a blacksmith, and I let you uses your magical charms on him to see if we can get you a small sword at a reasonable price."

To Gwennie's surprise Methos was always right. The town wasn't far, and Gwennie somehow believed Methos must have traveled every where once before, it seemed he knew so much about the world. They were not in town long before they had accomplished the tasks at hand, sold the horse, bought supplies, filled their bellies, and Gwennie even talked the local black smith in to selling then a small bronze sword for next to nothing. Methos thought that that girl could charm a demon into selling her his soul if she wanted him to. Just as he had procured lodging for the night, the couple felt the buzz of another Immortal near them.

"Stay behind me girl, just because you finally have a sword doesn't mean you know how to use it, let me see if this one is friend or foe." Methos said as he looked for the source of the buzz. After a few moments he spotted a tall man, they looked in to each other eyes and Methos called out "Elijah, how good it is to see you again."

The Man replayed "My friend Methos, it's been fifty years, old friend, how good to see you again and who is this beauty hiding behind you?"

"Gwennie meet an old friend of mine Elijah."

Gwennie came out from behind her master and walk towards Elijah. To both Methos and Gwennie's great surprise Elijah grasped her up in his arms held her hands down and kissed her hard on the lips, Gwennie had a look of shock in her eyes, Even though it had been only a few months since had been rescued from her old life, it still seemed to her as if it was years ago. Methos was suddenly filled with rage and drew his sword and raised it to Elijah neck.

"Elijah you will let her go and me fight and I will kill you." Methos shouted, his eyes were like small slits of white and spit drip out of his mouth with his words.

"No need for that Methos," Elijah said as he tossed Gwennie down hard in the dirt. Why fight over a mere woman, stand down old friend, this is nothing to come to swords about."

Methos stepped back and replaced his sword back in its hilt, then reached over and helped Gwennie off the ground, he could see she her knees where skinned and a cut on her face and elbows were already stating to heal. Methos was more worried about the emotional cuts to her soul, reminding her of her former life. Gwennie put her arm around his waist and held on to him tightly as Methos continued, "Elijah This woman is my property, you stay away from her, my sword arm has improved since out last meeting, stay out of my way and I will be leaving this town in the morning"

"Well my old friend Methos I am sorry to offend you, but have never seen you so interested in one partial women before, please this is not good a reason to part company. I have known you for three hundred yours, and it seem to me last time you were as friendly with the ladies as I was just then. She may be one of us but she still is just a woman." Elijah said as he spit at the ground, "she is with you now for what ever reason but when you grow tired of her one of us will take her pretty little head after maybe we have some fun first."

Gwennie gaining back her composure but still hanging on to Methos railed back at Elijah "I have already taken twenty one heads, and if you give me a fair fight you could easily be my Twenty-second."

Methos looked down at his student and frowned, "Gwennie be quite girl, this is my fight, you always reach too high, and you have no idea who Elijah is." Then he looked back at his former friend and said "Elijah I don't care what we have done in the past, you have no understanding about the power an Immortal can hold, it has nothing to do with their sex or size, now leave my sight or maybe I just let her fight you and you will find out, but I have to desire to see you head taken, so just leave my sight NOW!"

Elijah gave Methos and angry look and turned and walked away down the dust street. Methos wrapped his arms around his student and held her tight. "Gwennie I know that you are special and that you magic is powerful but you just can't challenge every immortal you meet, it's a good why to die. I am sorry he treated you like that. I should have remembered that Elijah was a man who treats all women like they were there for his own pleasure."

The stood embracing for a few moments before both realized they had never embraced each other before and they let go of each other as quickly as the incident has stated. Gwennie was red faced and embarrassed that she had acted like a frighten women. Why should she embarrassed, thousands of men had held her in their arms with out her consent, raped her beaten her. Why was she so embarrassed about holding Methos so close to her, but worst of all why did holding Methos in her arms make her feel so good, safe and happy? Emotions she had not felt for centuries were bubbling up in her and it made Gwennie feel very uncomfortable.

"I am sorry Master Methos, I should have had my sharp knife ready to stab the pig. I am out of practice, and you said you had lodgings, we actually will be sleeping inside tonight, I think there is bad weather coming." She said trying to regain control of her thoughts.

"Yes, let's forget about Elijah, the Inn down the street will be opening at sunset, I go with you to check on the horse."

"I am a woman I not helpless, I can do that Master." Gwennie reminded him still feeling angry about how helpless she had just acted. Then she went to the stable and Methos told her he was going to find a drink and promised to meet him at the Inn at sunset.

Methos went to the local watering hole to get some ale or what ever alcohol they sold in this Gods forsaken town. He found his beverage and thought about what just happened. He had been married more than a dozen times to mortal women. He had loved all, cherished then, and mourned their deaths. He also had several Immortal lovers but they were very different, these women were equals and his attachments to them were temporary alliances soon to be broken, for any of them could be using their talents as an excuse just to get him relaxed in order to take his head. Then he thought of Gwennie, and smiled, somehow she made his heart sing, but was this something good? She was an Immortal woman and he knew he could never make a commitment to another Immortal that was out of the question. She was just a student like every other student he had ever had he told himself as he drank is mug and ordered another mug of what ever alcohol this town local watering hole served. By the time sunset had come he had perhaps one too many, and Methos walked toward the Inn to meet up with Gwennie.

Darkness had descended, upon the streets and they were empty. There was no light except for the illumination of the full moon upon then. Gwennie had been waiting some time for her master but she wasn't worried, just annoyed. Finally she felt a buzz and could see his Silhouette zigzagging down the street. She knew what was wrong, even from a few feet away Gwennie could smell it on his breath. She thought back to her days in the brothel and decided that she couldn't count how many times she had to deal with drunken men. Well at least they were sleeping inside tonight, and it did look like rain was coming. The storm clouds were gathering, it could be worst. That was until she felt another buzz. Methos fell drunken and laughing in to her arms, until he too felt the other Immortal approach.

"Gwennie Get in the Inn I will take care if this" Methos said as he tried to grasp his sword with out success.

"Sure you will My Master Methos." She said as she leaned him against the nearest wall. "Who is there" she called out just as the rain began to fall.

"Its Elijah and I see I get two heads for the price of one tonight, you master is a bit too drunk to fight girl, so maybe I should have some fun with you before I take your head, I doubt he can protect you now." Said the tall man saw he came towards her.

"Maybe I don't need a protector Elijah. I am young but not ignorant and you will not take anyone's head tonight. Certainly not mine or my masters!" Gwennie said as she loosened her knife and raised her sword.

Methos felt the rain on his face and woke up a bit more to realize it was happening again, his student was facing the immortal that he should be fighting! The battle was already engaged and he was still feeling a little woozy so he remained seated and just hoped Gwennie's magic would save her again. He started talking to himself "Why do I even care...? She is a pain in the neck, she causes more trouble than she worth! She questions my authority, and talks about things that have nothing to with what I trying to tell her. She very distracting too, and has no sense of decency about dress. I can't remember how many time I had to toss my cloak over her. Nevertheless there is something very about different about her, yes she is wild, crazy, beautiful, and fun, but I think I like myself better when I am with her. This spring I can't ever smell lilacs and wild flowers, without thinking of her. OH by the Gods and Goddess Gwennie win! I can't lose you now, I can't lose you ever." Methos shook his head and said "I have to stop thinking this way about an Immortal woman; it's got to be that damn brew I drank. Dammit, and she even got me talking to myself"

The two Immortals that were locked in combat moved off to a field near the Inn, as the storm intensified. Methos could still hear Elijah laughing right up until he saw the quickening. By then the thunder and lighting from the storm was roaring and blended in with the quickening. Methos waited. He had recover most of his senses by then. Elijah would not take his head with out a fight. He felt the Buzz of an Immortal coming and he looked trying to see through the downpour. Finally Methos saw the silhouette of a small woman walking towards him dragging two swords. He got up and ran to meet her scooping her up in his arms, and kissing her passionately. She responded to his kiss rapping her arms around his neck and opening her mouth to his. They stood there in the downpour for a moment just enjoying the taste of their kiss until the roar of the thunder broke their embrace.

"You're such a foolish girl; you have to stop challenging every Immortal we meet." Methos admonished his student as he wiped the blood off her face.

"Excuse me but Elijah was challenging you. However master you were to drunk to fight. I know you like your brew Master but I will not defend you head every time when you choose to spend too much time in the local pub." Gwennie teased him.

"You're a brat, but thank you Gwennie, I was frightened for you." Methos said as he put her down and brushed her wet hair out of her face. "You have blood in you hair; let me wipe it out with the rain. Let us go to the stable to sleep it more private and we can talk about what really happened here tonight."

"I hate Blood in my hair when I lived in the brothels it could stay I my hair for weeks; when it dries it makes my hair ugly and smelly and I would feel so unclean." Then quickly switching gears tiring not to reveal too much of the pain of her past to Methos. Gwennie said in a coy sexy voice "Master Methos is all you want to do tonight is talk about the battle, or perhaps you have something else on your mind?"

"Gwennie I will never force you in to anything, but I can say I was scared I would lose you, and I don't want to do that. I told you when I bought you in the square that day I didn't buy you for any other reason but to be my student. I did not buy you to be your lover, or your protector, and until tonight I have slept alone. But Gwennie you have touched something in this old man's heart that I haven't felt in a long time." Methos said as he pointed to his heart, "This decision, well it's up to you. Choose either way, but girl I am soaked to the bone and we have to get out of this rain." He laughed as he put her gently put down back on the ground.

"Yes let go to the stable and get out of the rain" she replied.

Then Methos told her to wait there as he ran in the inn and came out with several blankets; they wrapped then around themselves and ran to the stables down the road.

Once in the stables Methos saw she was only in her tunic and it was cut with blood stains on it, he then went about his work to use the straw and blankets to make them a bed and he asked he how the battle went.

"Methos, why do you think I fought Elijah? I didn't know I would win. It was in fact because I was frighten I would lose tonight, but he said he would take your head too. He wanted me to give myself to him first then he take my head, then yours. If I had done that you might probably have been able to fight him well enough on you own. But I wasn't going to let a man do that to me ever again." She said as she looked up at him.

"Well I am glad you won then, Gwennie are you sure you really want to be here tonight alone with me?" Methos said as he reached down and touched her face softly.

"Yes Methos but it's not because you bought me, and rescued me from my imprisonment or taught me how to live in this new life. It is because I trust you, and I too feel something for you I haven't felt in centuries for anyone. I don't feel empty, worthless, and alone anymore." She smiled up at him and he bent down and gave her a kiss soft at fist than harder and more passionate, until they were left nearly breathless.

Methos didn't answer her when she confessed her feeling to him he only nodded his head and held her then said "I see you are nearly naked again, you lost you cloak, and I have to get you a one and a new tunic too before we can travel." Methos pick her up and placed her down on the makeshift bed and took off his own cloak and tunic and laid down to join her, the couple then cuddled up on the first soft bed either had been in months.

"I think it was the heavy rain that won me the victory tonight, you were right my sword arm was not ready to meet him. He cut me down more than once, and if not for his heavy clothing I would have lost. It was soaked and became three times the weight it was before, and the downpour made the field all into mud, so without the mud I would not have won."

"Are you telling me Elijah slipped and fell in the mud? And when he was down you took his head?" Gwennie nodded at her Master. Methos began to laugh and said, "Providence surely follows you Gwennie." Then Methos looked in her eyes and laughed "If I am your Lord and Master, how come you keep saving me, tomorrow you go back to being the student and next time I will take the head and show you how it's supposed to be done, not with mud and magic but with skill and training." He then rapped her up in his arms and she lovingly retuned all his embraces and they spent their first night of passion together. Here in his arms was a woman who had learned how to please a man by living as a whore for over 450 years and she knew just how to set a man's flesh on fire. Gwennie knew how to turn a man's insides out until he thought he would die of pleasure. She made Methos feel as if he had left his body and moved on to a higher plane of existence with just her sweet touches. Methos also enjoyed pushing her several time past the point of rapture. The Chemistry they shared seems feral beyond both of theirs wildest imagination and the climax Methos reached seemed to go on forever. Methos had never felt this much pleasure when he made love with a women. Even after Gwen fell asleep Methos still kept looking at her, amazed that together they had reached such a point of ecstasy. He was 1,500 years old and had had many women but never had Methos experienced a lover like Gwennie. This was the first of thousands of nights to come however tonight they didn't care about the future. Tonight Methos and Gwennie cared only that they were together and in each other arms.

**1996 The Present**

Methos heard a knock on the door, he was dosing and his eyes opened to see Luke, Bill and Dana come in the office to get him as the meeting was just starting. "Hey Adam sorry to interrupt you snooze break but there is work to be done, come on let get going." Dana smiled as Adam Pierson got up out of the soft leather chair and left Joe's office and Methos's memories behind.

End chapter 7

**Look for ****Chapter 8 -A Unhappy Highlander **


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Highlander is the property of Davis-Panzer Productions. Gwen MacQueen and her assorted bunch of sidekicks are mine. **

**I want to thank my beta reader R.J. Bingham. Please go and read R.J. Bingham's Fan-fiction, his stories are both well written and enjoyable. You can find him under my favorite Authors. **

_**Author note**_** - Hi all it been over a month since I posted anything on this story and you may have noticed the chapter title has changed. But the story is finished now and I will be post the complete story very soon. This is part 2 to the **_**Methos' Passion**_** trilogy and in a couple of weeks I will complete the trilogy with the last Methos, Joe and Gwen story - **_**Love Down Under Style,**_** Which includes most of the your favorite Highlander characters plus Amy, Joe daughter too. Oh there will be a couple of flashback - one with Cassandra! Please do not worry Richie will be there in the end so Richie fans hang in there. So please enjoy the rest of **_**The Original Good Time Girl.**_** Please leave some feed back any writer always need critiques your thoughts matters to me, I want to be a better writer so please feel free to leave a comment. Fanlass**

**Chapter eight **

**Brainwashed, Befuddled and Bait**

**B**arney Called and had filled in Joe the fact he had met Carol for breakfast today and was working as a self appointed double agent. He told Joe about how the meeting went and asked if he could come to the bar to discuss it with the other watcher. Barney had a said he had a plan to catch the renegades. Joe could do little else but agree since he knew in truth it was Methos's plan and not Barneys.

It was around noon when Barney entered the bar called _JOES_. Adam, Luke, Dana Bill, and Mike, were waiting along with Joe to hear what he had to say. "Barney, you are not a double agent, James Bond, Jason Bourne, and Ethan Hunt from Mission Impossible are fictioal characters who are only in books and the movies! Besides you're a forty five year old lawyer and corporate executive who is out of shape with a bot belly. You could get yourself kill doing this type of stuff." Joe yelled at him, his face was red with anxiety over the entire situation. He had feelings for Gwen himself the last thing Joe want to see was Carol behead Gwen and then he lose any chance he had with the exotic women immortal.

"I Know Joe! I am not crazy! But I had to do something. I am not supposed to know you guys or immortals even existing but I do, and if I can save Gwen's life I have. My God Joe she was the only mother I ever knew! I love her!" Barney had tears in his eyes "You people just sit there and watch, God Damn you!"

"Calm down Barney, Carol was one of our people so we are trying to take some action, this is out problem too." Joe shot back at him. "OK James Bond what did you tell your estranged wife?"

"I told Carol we might call off the divorce if she just met with Gwen and me back at Wills Beach at sunset today to talk over things. Gwen has already agreed to be bait as long as the entire group of renegade watcher will be on hand there and you people will be there also to stop the blood shed. These people are you responsibly and have to take care of your own people who have broken your own rules."

"It might work but your taking a big chance she still may kill Gwen MacQueen, and I know you don't want that, hell she could kill you too, what assurances do you have?" Dana asked Barney

"Carol will not kill me, she bought the let cancel the divorce hook, line, and sinker and maybe deep down I do still I still love her, I don't know." Barney replied

"But what will happen when Carol finds out your telling her the whole truth?" Joe said

"Well you guys have to back me up, and do your job, stop your own people from kill Gwen! I don't really understand what you watchers really do, but I have met a lot of immortals and mostly they were like Gwen or Connor trying to rid the world of the wicked merciless unscrupulous scum out there. I want you guy to know something about me; Gwen may be some kind of crazy pagan but she made sure that I spent of my Christmas's and Easter holidays in Glenfinnan with Connor McLeod or I was in Paris with Father Darius. The good Father Darius had convinced Gwen to raise me Catholic; you should all have been there for my conformation when I had to recite it all in Latin, taught to me from man who knew how to speak the dialect perfectly. Mako taught me how to shoot a gun and box and defend myself when the other kids teased me in school, John Morton was my boy scout leader and took me camping weekends. Sean Burns and Marcus Constantine helped me with high school and college homework, Byron taught me poerty, how to play the guatuar and a little more about sex than Gwen wanted me to know. When I was twenty-one Huge Fitzcan took me out for my first drink, acually I think that 1st drink lasted an entire week." Barney laughed to himself thinking of all his long dead Immortal friends "I always knew I wasn't one of them, but these Immortals didn't care, they all treated me like I was their own son. All these men were surrogate fathers, to me. You people are all just sitting there and watching like some kind of strange voyeurs, these men were not just some men that you watch and write down who they fought and how they lived and how they died. These men they all were all good people and part of my family." Barney finished his passionate speech with trears still streaming down his face.

"We are going to say it again calm down Barney, we want these people to stop killing immortals too, it's breaking on of our oldest and most important oaths, so relax we are here for you but its not you fight." Dana said as she put her hands on Barney's shoulders and gave him a hug. Then looking Barney in the face Dana said "But is MacQueen willing to be used as bait, you have to arrange that part we do not get involved immortals directly, she not supposed to know we exist." She looked hard at Luke as she spoke to the group. "But we know Luke you have made contact with her, or Barney wouldn't be here."

"It Carol that let her know about the watchers Dana, It's not Luke's fault, Carol is the one who stated leaking info about where she would be and setting up matches with other immortals against MacQueen, it stated over two years ago, if we have anyone to blame it Carol Wright. Luke was just doing damage control, Gwen never came here or knows about any other watcher except Luke" Joe lied again.

"Carol Wright stated a bunch of rumors about MacQueen too" Adam spoke out in Luke's defense. "Remember I was MacQueen's watch for three days last spring and discovered the tip of the iceberg about Carol Wright. She was toss out of the watcher, damn luck she didn't end up with a bullet in her head too, but Joe and I have been working on damage control ever since."

"Yea Pierson is right, we researched it together and I am afraid it all true" Joe continued to lied to the group, for he knew Adam had done all the work himself. "And in case anyone asks I have talked to the branch in Europe and we have been told to use deadly force if need. Think about that for a moment lady and gents. I don't know about you all but I not sure if I am ready to put a bullet between anyone else's eyes tonight."

The bar erupted in crosstalk, every one was at wits end until Mike who was usually silent stood up and asked for order, then said quietly "we all took the same oath we all know what we must do." And the room got very very quite.

Just then a FedEx guy came in to the bar, he looked at the people sitting around a bar not even one person had a drink, and said "Sorry, but the door was open, I have a package for a Mr Joe Dawson and I need him to sign for it."

Joe raised his hand, "that would be me."

The FedEx guy walked up to Joe gave him the ledger and after Joe signed for the package he handed Joe a small sealed package, smiled and left as quickly as he could. The other watchers all wanted to know what was in the package and where it was from.

"Well aren't you going to open it" Dana said

Joe nodded and tore off the seal looked in side and drop the contents on the table before the group. It was a small decorated silk bag, pulled tight with a silk cord. Joe opened the bag and dropped polished quarts stones each one engraved with a strange symbol on to the table. Adam and Luke looked at each other and both said almost at the same time "runes."

Back at McLeod's Loft…..

Gwen and Connor were deep in discussion, she was telling him that Barney had informed her also of the plans and she was still tiring to convince Connor in to leaving town. "Connor these are mortals we are fighting and did I tell you about Carol and what happened when she was my watcher, it was a mess I was fighting more challenges than working, she is one twisted sister."

Connor paced the room and said to Gwen "I know you told me but I still don't think I like the idea of these watchers, couldn't this happen to anyone of us? They know all about us and we know nothing about them. They want you to be bait so I am not leaving until I know you're safe."

"No Connor think of you wife and children you need to leave, anyway this is really Methos's plan for me to be bait, he wants everyone to think I am dead so I can move leave my life as Gwen MacQueen and start over in a new life that even the watcher don't know about. I agreed with him I can't fight a murder charge and operate a major corporation at the same time, this identity is over for me. Carol will never admit I am innocent, and after this she many even become a casualty herself, so I will have no way to prove my innocence. I'm in a no win scenario."

"Hey Gwen I tougher than I look, and I been around 500 years, I be OK. Remember Haven't I always told you its a Kind of magic I have" The Highlander gave Gwen his broad smile, but his mood changed quicly as he said, "how will they think you're dead if they don't see a quickening?"

"Oh I think we can manage on of those, Methos and I have planed that all out. You said you sensed an immortal when you can in cell phone range, after you came off the island, right? Gwen asked the highlander.

"Yea but I thought it was you friend Methos"

"Trust me Connor he not the outdoor type say he hasn't been since the 1st century, no it was a immortal with the regarded watchers, and I know who he is, Methos found out for me and all I have to do is kill him and the rest of the watcher will think its my quickening." Gwen said with a smile as if it was as easy as wining a game of checkers.

"I don't like it Gwen, you are the bait with a crazy watcher, then you have to fight an Immortal, I am not leaving you side especially since during all this time that cowardly lover of yours Methos, will be with the watcher nice and safe. Nope I am staying right near you." Connor replied as he stopped pacing and stood next to Gwen.

"I do not need a protector; I can take care of myself" Gwen looking up at Connor with her big Brown eyes.

Connor gave her a hug and then grasped her by her shoulders and looked deep back into thoses big dark brown eyes "Maybe I have seen you hold you own against men who might have bested me, but this guy Methos has got you so brainwashed, and befuddled right now, you don't even think you need a friend who can use a sword by your side. Nope I am staying right here, and not another word about it. I don't care that Duncan hangs out with this guy, I guess my kinsman doesn't have a clue what a cunning conniving bastard this Methos of yours really is."

End chapter 8

**look for chapter 9 - Angry Highlander or Runes**

**Please leave some feed back any writer always need critiques your thoughts matters to me, I want to be a better writer so please feel free to leave a comment. Fanlass**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Highlander is the property of Davis-Panzer Productions. Gwen MacQueen and her assorted bunch of sidekicks are mine. **

**I want to thank my beta reader R.J. Bingham. Please go and read R.J. Bingham's Fan-fiction, his stories are both well written and enjoyable. You can find him under my favorite Authors. **

**The Original Good time Girl**

**Chapter 9 **

**A ****Angry Highlander ****or Let Play What Do the Runes Say?**

"Runes, aren't they some medieval form of writing, who would send them to you Joe? And who can understand them anyway?" Dana and Bill chipped in together,

"Not sure, I don't know much about Runes, MacLeod does though, Luke you and Adam should know something about them too. Are they from the medieval times? Adam you're the researcher here translate them for us." Joe said looking straight at Adam.

Luke jumped in to block some of the attention from Adam, "Well there are those who think Runes were used in other times than just medieval times. Runes can be traced back to cultures before the time of Christ, they were used by Germanic tribes as long ago as 50 BCE, but other historian's believe their use went back a lot further. Since they were a simple alphabet written on stones they may predate paper and clay alphabets, and they were easily portable, and used to send messages, often in code. Adam you got anything to add?" Luke asked his old drinking buddy.

"I think you covered the basics Luke, but each symbol on each stone corresponds to either a letter in the alphabet or a code, or a subject, but there are many types of runes, I am not sure what type of runes these are yet I have to study them for a while, could I use the office and the computer database Joe?" Adam asked.

"Sure but take Luke with you to help two mind can work faster than one, and I don't know if this is just a distraction or something important." Joe ordered.

Adam shot Joe a dirty look, "I think I can do the job perfectly well myself."

"Not this time old buddy, beside don't worry it's not like Luke and you have any secrets from each other, and stay out of the whisky drawer." Joe yelled at the two men.

"Yes Sir, Mr. North-Western Regional Director Sir" Adam said saluting Joe and answered back in a rather sarcastic tone. "But have a heart Joe can't we at least get a couple of drafts from the bar first, it hard thirsty work deciphering ancient codes." Adam said as he stopped and poured Luke and himself two draft beers motioning to Luke to grab the runes and then they entered the office and shut the door behind them.

Adam put the beer down on the desk, "Ok Luke spill the runes out, that damn Joe, I really don't need you here to do this, we both know who sent them, and I doubt you can help one bit."

"Adam, just think perhaps Joe's just trying to deflect some of the limelight off you. If the others thought for one minute you were Methos, or that you knew who Gwen really was they would accuse you of falsifying your report last spring. Joe's just trying to protect you" Luke said as he lightly touched Adams shoulder. "I can see you're angry and maybe confused." Luke said trying to comfort his friend.

"Your Damn right I'm angry, Gwennie's trying to change the plan I so carefully worked out, If she would have just stuck to the plan everything was going to be just hunky dory, but no, it's just like a women to want to change things." Methos closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then gathered his thoughts and sat at the desk to continue to work. "This is a message from her, but Luke it will take me more than a few minutes to decode it, she's using a code we used back a long time ago and frankly, I hate to admitted it but not like every detail of everything I did two thousand years ago is as sharp as what I did yesterday." Adam said as he moved the stones around and tried to place them in the proper order.

"Gwen showed me some runes a few times when I was at her place, I know this one means change that one danger, and that one means another man, and I think that one is your symbol, this one is Gwen's symbol, this one is lightning this one means sadness or unhappiness, the rest I don't know." Luke interjected.

"Yes it was a long time ago but I do remember which rune was the symbol for me," Methos looked up at Luke and gave him a smile, "but I suppose she's telling us that Connor is still here and not leaving and he's not happy. I don't know if it's all some kind of warning but there's more to it than just Gwennie and her unhappy highlander friend. Luke you see runes are not as clear as writing on a page, there is a lot one can read in to them." Methos said as he took a sip from his beer and rubbed his hand over his head. There is no punctuation, no sentence structure, it's just symbols conveying a simple message. Take for example this one mean death. But whose death, we don't know; I hope it's that damn Highlanders, but I doubt it so I have to cross him off the list and go with mine or Gwennie's.

"I don't like that assertion" Luke said

"You think I do! Death is a sport I have no wish to participate in," Adam said.

"There is the idea that Gwennie could also be sacrificing herself, she tends to be noble like that especially if it means saving lives of people she cares about." Luke said "I have seen that concept growing in her more all the time."

"It's one of the first things I taught her never to do, save yourself first, live, grow stronger, fight some other day. She must have gotten the idea from Darius, after she met him again in 1918. Damn dark and illuminating Quickening's they just circumvent the whole karma of the world." Methos banged his fist on the desk. "They take perfectly fine men and screw both of them up, with either pain killing and anger as in Duncan dark Quickening or like Darius make him into a man of peace, love, and non-violence, which we all know will never really change the human race, both a complete waste of resources and man power. I hate those Damn dark and illuminating Quickening's. They just mess up the whole Bloody world!"

"Adam, sometimes I don't know what you're talking about, can you just please decode these runes and not give me a Philosophy lesson." Luke complained to his friend.

"It was just a comment on the situation Luke; I do not want her telling me to prepare for her death, hell I just found her again. Women they always find a way to unravel a great plan, she's a fool, Luke you have to go talk to her, I can't." Adam took a deep breath. "She will not listen to me, but Luke you're her friend I think you can get through to her, she just will think I have an ulterior motive. Gwennie knows you do not, and trust you."

"Neith of us wants to lose her Adam, we want to keep Gwen alive" Luke answered "so what do we tell the others?"

"Nothing, we couldn't decode the runes." Adam said.

"Joe knows you, he's not going to buy that" Luke stated

"Let me deal with Joe, you go to MacLeod's loft. I believe that is where she and the Highlander are. Luke find out what's really happening, all this is still going down tonight and I am not just going to stand here in this damn Bar and do nothing just let it happen. But we need recon, you know information. Gwennie knows I am not going to exposing myself to save her ass, maybe that's what she's counting on. Does anyone know how a woman's mind works? Not me, it's an enigma a question best left for a Philosophy class, and if we don't figure it out right now, well I really don't want to think about going through her death all over again, I did that once and that was enough for me." Adam/Methos recounted.

"Well I am not going alone we will both go, I will tell Joe we are picking up lunch." Luke was always good with snappy answers.

"And when we don't come back? What will the others do?" Adam said as he gave his friend a long hard look.

"They will just have to get their own lunch delivered by someone else." Luke laughed back at his old friend.

"You amuse me Luke, maybe that's why I still talk to you, and Ok you're in charge of this one." Adam said as he grabbed the bag of runes and left the office they were off to talk to Gwennie and the angry Highlander. Oh and pick up lunch along the way too.

End chapter 9

**Next chapter 10 - Reflections of Past Delights**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Highlander is the property of Davis-Panzer Productions. Gwen MacQueen and her assorted bunch of sidekicks are mine. **

**I want to thank my beta reader R.J. Bingham. Please go and read his Fan-fiction, they are all well written and enjoyable. You can find him under my favorite Authors. **

**Chapter 10**

**Reflections of Past Delights**

Methos couldn't believe what a fast talker Luke had become, before he knew it they were out of the bar, through Starbucks, and over pick up some sandwiches from Luke's favorite Jewish deli and almost to the Loft. Well maybe the lunch would soften Gwennie's heart about their visit; no one can resist Starbuck cafe mocha and real corn beef sandwiches. Well time was running out they had to leave by five pm in order to be at Wears beach at sunset.

Methos used his key to unlock the loft door but sent in Luke first sure the Highlander would have his sword drawn.

"Lunch delivery" Methos said as he walked into the loft. To his surprise Connor was sitting on the green leather sofa, and Gwen was standing at the door with the sword. "Hey we brought you coffee and corn beef sandwiches so put the sword down woman."

"I thought it was you, why are you here Methos?" Gwen said as she held her sword up in the air.

"I told you Luke and I brought you guys Lunch." Methos answered as he placed his packages on the kitchen counter.

"No really why are you here, tell me" Gwen said as she brought the sword up to Methos's throat.

"Ok you don't need to get aggressive now, it was the runes you sent" Methos said as he gave her his best puppy dog eyes trying to get Gwen to remove the sword.

"Runes? I didn't send anyone any runes" Gwen said still holding the sword at Methos's throat.

"Gwennie put the sword down, we both know you're not going to use it." Methos professed. "Then who sent the runes if you didn't, it would have to be someone who knows those runes would draw my attention and have me reach the conclusion that you Gwennie were putting yourself in unnecessary danger, and force me to come here to speak to you personally."

"I sent them." Connor McLeod answered. "I was hoping you'd do as you have just said, and please talk some sense into her, since I can't."

Gwennie dropped the sword down with a clang on the floor, turned her back to the group walked as far away from them as she could over to the spiral staircase. "Can't you people just mind your own business, ever? Carol and these people are my problem not yours, there's no reason Connor, Methos, Luke or anyone else has to risk anything. I don't want Joe or Barney in the line of fire either. Can't you all just get over the fact I am not helpless just because I am a women. Even you Methos with all this crap about you will not compromise yourself to help, you're doing it right now by just being here. Why are all men so Macho. And you Mr. Denton just go home" Gwennie said as she slowly turned around.

"Why pick on me Gwen? I am your friend." Luke said.

"Why did you join the watchers Luke, tell us the story, and Methos don't interrupt him I know you know where this is going so just shut up and eat you corn beef." Gwen said as Methos gave her a nasty look, and began putting the sandwiches out for everyone to eat.

"Well, I was orphaned twice, first by my birth mother then when my adopted parents were killed in a car accident. My favorite teacher in school, Sam Edwards, took me in as a foster kid; I was only 10 at the time. He raised me like his own son. Then one day when I was at high school there was a shooting in school, a janitor went nuts, and killed three people in my high school gym. I was in the Gym playing basketball. I should have died that day but Sam was there watching my game and he got between me and the gunman. He died instead, and I was devastated. Sam left a will giving me his house and enough money to go to college with, but I always missed him, he was always like a father to me. Then after college I went to Grad school as an ancient history major. I went to one of my history class on the classic Greeks with a Professor named Edward Samson and I sat down in the last row of seats and who came out to teach but Sam. He didn't look a day older, and as much as I tried to blend in he saw me right away. After class we went to his office and had it out and he explained that he was immortal. We stayed friends at school until after I graduated with my PHD in ancient history. Then he moved away suddenly. After that the watchers recruited me and I met Adam or as you know him Methos, as my roommate in the watcher academy and worked with him as a researcher for the first few years until I got the assignment to watch Quentin Smith and then the assignment to watch you Gwen. It's nothing special, it just always reminded me of how you raised Barney Gwen." Luke stopped and looked down he knew Adam had heard the story before and was curious why Gwen wanted to know.

"Gwen, you cannot tell him! That's not how it's done" Methos stated in a loud voice.

"I agree stop this now Gwen, there is no point to it" Connor chipped in.

"He's most likely going to be killed tonight if he stays with us, Carol has automatic weapons. Barney already knows she plans to shoot first and ask question later, Joe and his people need to be aware of this too, they will die too and they aren't coming back." Gwen said.

"Then send him right back to be with Joe's people, he belongs there anyway, you trick me in to bringing him here just so you could warn him, to bloody hell with it Gwennie you can't control the outcome of the game" Methos said

"Just wait one damn minute, what are you all suggesting?" Luke said with a funny look in his eyes. "It's not like the watchers haven't discussed the possibility of immortals taking in pre immortals for years, watching them, making sure they have a chance to mature, so the pre immortals will have the chance of reaching an age they can survive in the game. At graduate school Sam even got me started practicing martial arts, and you Gwen you were teaching me how to fight with the wooden rods at the gym, you said you needed a practice partner. I should have figured it out before now there was a reason you took such an interest in me after we started our weekly lunches. Gwen I am going to die tonight, you know it somehow, it's that damn mystic power you have, right?" Luke asked her but without fear in his voice.

"Yes I have seen death tonight, but your death Luke if you are careful doesn't have to be forever, but I see others too, and maybe mine."

Gwen said quietly.

"So that is why you sent the runes Highlander" Methos replied. "Gwennie, you could never see the future before, it can't be true."

"It not a vision it's more of a premonition, and yes it's something I learned to do when I meditated while entombed, speaking to my quickening's. But it's a very strong one, it's a stronger one than I have ever had before especially the part involving Luke and myself dying. You both think that it's not fair to warn him. But remember there's that immortal who's working with the renegade watchers, that guy could take his head before Luke knew what hit him if he doesn't know what's coming." Gwen gave Luke a sad look as if to say she was sorry without using the words.

Luke was still taking it all in and he was putting two times two together in his own mind also. He was a very smart guy and no one had to mention it again but Luke suddenly put all the pieces of his life together and knew Gwen was right. But what to do next that was the question? Well he had to lie of course that was his only option. "Gwen this is all nuts, you immortals have gone quite mad, I am taking the car back to the bar and letting Joe and the other know about Carol's guns, and we mortal watchers will do what we have to do, Methos you stay with them, I'll say you were not feeling well and went to your hotel room, I'm sure I can convince them, all but Joe, I'll tell him the truth that you're with the other immortals. I will see you all at the beach at sunset. Don't worry I will not say anything about this nonsense, and I'll make sure the watchers have bullet proof vests on.

Gwen looked at Luke and walked over to him and gave him a hug. "Do what you have to Luke, just stay safe and protect Joe for me OK," and she kissed him on the cheek, then he turned and walked out without another word to Connor or Methos.

"You told him too much Gwen, he's lying, he knows." Methos said after Luke left.

"It will not make any difference in a couple of hours Methos; he is a friend and deserves a chance to survive the night. Those watchers Carol's with will cut off his head if they even suspect he's one of us, we owe him that. It's not like we haven't warned others before Methos, you did this same thing for Darius, you couldn't bear to see him die the same day he became an immortal, so what rule did I break that you haven't broken yourself?" She said as she walked over and sat down at the counter and started to eat a corn beef sandwich and sip the Starbuck coffee.

"Touché my dear you love it when you can catch me in a contradiction. We still do not know how he'll react knowing what he is, tonight life for Luke will be full of impossible choices, you're a crafty witch Gwennie" Methos said

"Methos those impossible choices Luke has to make are what I am counting on to help save Joe and the other watchers lives, Gee these are the best pickles I've had in years, remember the pickles we had in Bethlehem, 189 BC they taste sort of like those, too bad they don't make real Jewish pickles anymore."

"I agree, except for back then in the holy land this is the best Jewish food I've had in a while. Could you please pass the cold slaw, too bad we already drank all of Mac's beer, it would be great with these sandwiches." Methos smiled back at Gwennie.

"Did anyone ever tell you both that you sometimes act like an old married couple?" Connor said as he joined them at the table.

"God forbid" Methos said, "I wouldn't last a week married to her, we would come to swords by the third day and one of us would lose their head."

"And the head to roll would be yours my love" Gwennie laughed.

"In a pig's eye Gwennie, the missing head would be yours I haven't lived this long to have a mere spit of a woman kill me. I don't care what mystic powers you have, in a clean fight I would win." Methos smiled.

"Who said it would be a clean fight." Gwen smiled, her big brown eyes fixed upon Methos, as the two were laughing and watching each other eat the messy sandwiches and not commenting on each other's table manners while reminiscing about times long ago.

"Ok you two stop walking down memory lane and let's talk strategy? We have to hit the road, and figure out how to defeat the bad guys, win the battle save the watchers." Connor said as he shook his head in disbelief, the couple before him were lost in their own world, and would be at least until they had finished eating. Connor never honestly believed until tonight that there was a true love connection, between Gwen and Methos. The Highlander had always preferred to believe Methos and Gwen were like gunpowder and matches, two things that should rarely come in contact with each other, because they were too highly combustible and dangerous. But watching them together tonight the Highlander realized even though they both denied it, that there was an unquestionable deep love that Gwen and Methos shared for each other. He could see a Reflections of Past Delights they had shared. This love was genuine and it was entwined and stamped into each other's hearts, but the real shame was that Methos and Gwen would never fully admit the truth about their feeling towards each other. It was much easier after thousands of years just to live a lie about it, rather than deal with the consequences of facing the truth and admit that their hearts were forever joined unable to be divided. The Highlander watched the couple laughing, gently exchanging glances and soft touches. Connor was sad knowing their magic was but temporary, and he thought of his wife in LA and longed for her, and his relationship with her without any of these silly games Methos and Gwennie played.

End chapter 10

Next chapter 11 - Methos - Old and Wise One or Full of Bullshit?

,


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: Highlander is the property of Davis-Panzer Productions. Gwen MacQueen and her assorted bunch ****of sidekicks are mine. **

**I want to thank my beta reader R.J. Bingham. Please go and read R.J.'s Fan-fiction, his stories are both well written and enjoyable. You can find him under my favorite Authors. **

Chapter 11

Methos - Old and Wise One or Full of Bullshit?

With plans in place Gwen was picked up in Barney's limo for the ride up to Mills Lake. Methos and Connor followed them in Methos's Jimmy at a comfortable distance. Connor was glad to get Methos and Gwen separated; now he finally had time to speak to the 5,000 year man alone. Their first order of business was to discuss just how they were going to separate the immortal Simon Willis from the renegade watchers, and kill him.

Methos told Connor "It makes no difference to me if Simon Willis finds out whether I am an immortal or not, because he will not live through the night anyway. We need to use his quickening as a cover so that the watchers will think it's really Gwennie's quickening, and think she is dead. That is the only way she can get out of Dodge safely. Then she can go off to New Zealand to start her new life without a watcher trailing along behind her. Don't you agree Connor?"

"Methos you even pick a place for her to go? Gwen is very pig headed how do you know she will follow your plans to the letter?" Connor asked curiously trying to find out just how old and wise Methos really or was he just really just good at slinging bullshit.

"It's not hard Connor, I do have a plan. I know her almost better than she knows herself and there's only one way to get Gwennie to do what I want her to do; manipulate her." Methos gave Connor a big smile and laughed.

"Really? Well I have tried to do that and failed, the woman's got an iron will and mystic powers, even Darius tried to do that and she manipulate him instead, I don't suppose you want to hear the story?" Connor said.

"No, please don't, that whole thing between Darius and her and me is still a bit raw." Methos answered.

"Wasn't that around the time of Christ, you seem to hold a grudge a long time." Connor smirked back at Methos. "But really I have never seen anyone being able to manipulate Gwen, she's a rock, so what is this great plan of yours, oh old and wise one?"

Methos shook his head "Highlander, I am just a guy, I never claimed to be old and wise, but I do know Gwennie, to her very core, so it's really not that difficult to manipulate her. First, you have to confuse her. Second, you have to dump her so hard she will not know which end is up. Third, you have to lie to her, and finally I will tell her that I have never loved her and she means nothing to me. Those will pretty much do the job and after that she will do anything I tell her to." Methos smiled in an elfish way at Connor.

"Did anyone tell you that you're crazy?" Connor yelled at Methos. "Well as for me I think you're a mean and sadistic old bastard? So you're telling me she's only going to follow through on this plan of yours, treating her like a piece of shit? I don't think that's playing fair, she's one of the nicest, kindest, sweetest and most honest immortals I have ever met." Connor replied with a sick look on his face.

"Oh I agree she had a heart of Gold, I guess that's why I kept coming back to her again and again and again over the centuries. But that same heart of Gold is her greatest weakness. Look at me Connor, It's not like I want to drive her away, but let's be serious Gwen MacQueen has two murder charges hanging over her head and no way to avoid prison? Prison is not any place for an immortal. How many times have you had to leave a life you didn't want to? I guess we both are men and try not to get tied up with this emotional stuff, but Gwennie's not only leaving a life she loved but a son she raised. If I know her, she will be fighting to stay as Gwen MacQueen for as long as she can." Methos shook his head and took in a deep ragged breath, the pace of his words slowed, Connor could see the look of concern on his face. "It's not logical, but it's Gwennie and we can't allow it to happen, sometimes she doesn't know when to quit."

"Well I guess you're right she has a heart of gold and sometimes the woman acts like a tiger who hasn't been fed for two weeks, she keeps coming at you until she gets whatever she wants. I never saw anyone as small as her with her resolve. Sometimes Gwen doesn't think logically at all, especially if it involves someone she cares about. I don't think she ever knew what the word fear meant; I have never seen her like in a man or women. Methos there's still got to be a better way to get her to move away rather than tearing her down. And don't tell me you don't love her, I can see it just by the way you look at her. Any fool can tell that you love her, are you going to be lying to her or are you really just lying to yourself Methos? " Connor asked.

Methos was quiet as he drove down the highway, darkness was falling and they were nearing Mills Lake. "Connor, I am not going to answer that question. It's none of your business anyway. Whatever is between Gwennie and me has always stayed just between the two of us and I will not speak about it, especially with one of her past lovers. OH You didn't think I knew?" Methos glanced at the Highlander for just a moment with an icy glare in his eyes.

"Well I do love her Methos, and because of you she would never let me in all the way, when we were together it felt like there was always a third person in the room with us; and that third person was you. So I think I deserve an answer." The Highlander looked at the 5000 year old man with anger in his eyes.

"Highlander, it's very complicated. There is no way you can be involved with the same women for over 2000 years and not have a lot of issues in the relationship. I am sure your feelings about Gwennie are genuine, but as for myself and Gwennie to tell you the truth, I do not even dare admit to myself how I really feel about her. I can't because then I would have to face too many things about myself I don't want to deal with at this time. How long have you lived Highlander, five hundred years? Maybe after you lived a few more thousand years you will begin to get a grasp of what I am really talking about." Methos pulled over the SUV off the road and paused again, relaxed and gripping his hands together in a fist and was quiet for a few moments. Then without any reason he completely changed his demeanor, and smiled as he began saying, "Anyway we are here, let's get in place we have a job to finish. Now it's time to save the girl, keep the watchers alive, kill the renegades, and save our own skins, ready Highlander?" Methos then reached over and lightly punched the Highlander in his shoulder and then he jumped out of the SUV and began scanning the land where they were parked for the other participants in the night's drama.

Connor was perplexed with Methos answers, Duncan had told him once that Methos was a sly son of a bitch, who often said one thing but acted another way. Duncan couldn't explain his friendship with the 5000 year old man, and said he could never tell for sure when Methos was telling a lie or telling the truth. Duncan did say that sometimes Methos had seemed to be very annoyed about helping Duncan, and complained the whole time, but when push came to shove Duncan couldn't find anyone better to have his back than Methos. Connor had to laugh at the relationship his kinsman and Methos had, but had trouble seeing how this double talking Immortal has endeared himself so much to Duncan since his kinsman who was all about right and wrong and Methos seemed to walk in the greys of life. Right now Connor was more worried about Gwen than he was in understanding Methos's motives. The Highlander was still willing to take Methos's head if it meant saving Gwen. The only problem with this strategy was that Connor felt Methos was highly aware were Connor's allegiances lay, and was on constant alert even if he never flinched or twitched a muscle in Connor's direction. The two immortals always watched each other; Connor had to admit he was a bit over his head this time matching moves with a master of the game, he was glad they were supposed to be on the same side.

"OK Methos so just how are we going to get Mr. Simon Willis separated from the renegade watchers, since you're the guy with all the plans supposedly?" Connor asked for the second time tonight.

"I am not sure yet, as far as Joe and I have been able to determine, Carol is the only watcher who knows Simon Willis is immortal. At least I hope so; I have to meet up with the other watchers that are our side. Can you stay hidden and look out for Gwennie and Barney? Try not to let anyone know you are here. Your watchers should be with Joe, and their last report was, you were still in the vicinity but they were unable to locate your position. Try to keep it that way if you can Highlander." Methos barked out orders like a general.

"I have more than one watcher? And both are so inept that neither one of them can find me? What kind of operation are you guys running here it's not like I've been hiding, I've been staying at Duncan's Loft! This watcher thing doesn't seem like a terribly efficient organization if you ask me." Connor complained.

"You haven't been their first priority, this whole renegade watchers killing immortals has been more important than locating a missing immortal who usually, for all intents and purpose, act as a good guy in their Chronicles." Methos informed Connor. "But do not let it go to your head Highlander, they took an oath not to interfere so if our Mr. Simon Willis gets the jump on you don't expect any help from the watchers. One more thing my name is Adam Pierson in this life, and I would ask you kindly to forget about Methos, at least for now." Methos said just as he left Connor standing near the SUV and then walked in to the wood heading towards the beach.

Connor shook his head in disbelief then looked for higher ground and climbed up a small hill so he could get a look at the players of tonight's drama gathering on the beach. There was a bright sky and a full moon that reflected off the water and someone had started a bon-fire down on the beach. Connor went back to the SUV and got a pair of binoculars that way he could get a closer look at the beach, where he could see a crowd gathering.

Barney and Gwen started the bon-fire, not only to help keep them warm but to light up the beach, it wasn't long before Carol and her men appeared. Gwen quickly noticed the approach of an immortal among Carol's men. Gwen had her sword in one of her hands and a magnum forty five in the other; she was taking no chances this time.

Barney spoke first, "Carol, this is madness you have to listen to me, maybe I do not know everything about watchers, but you have Gwen and my relationship completely wrong. Gwen is not in competition with you for my love. She raised me; she is my Mother."

Carol looked at him in shock, "You mean she's gone from being your lover to my mother in-law? Barney you should have told me before the wedding."

Barney responded back with. "Carol you should have told me you were a watcher! I didn't think you even knew that immortals existed; much less that Gwen was one. Is the stuff true about you sending all those other bad immortals after her, to kill her? How could you Carol? I never loved any other women but you, so why did you do this? Michelle is dead now too and Gwen said that was because of you too. I really don't understand why you hate Gwen; she was always good to you."

Carol came close to Barney, and looked into his eyes, "I didn't know she raised you, but you don't really know her, you have only seen what she wanted you to see Barney, Gwen is evil, she's a witch, and uses dark magic, I've seen her do it many times."

"Hey do I get a vote in this or are you judge jury and executioner Carol?" Gwen chimed in. "If you want Barney, he's not going to want you after you kill me. Think about it Carol, you could clear my name and we could be one big sort of happy family, I'm not really so bad."

"Gwen put you're gun down and your sword away, you're an abomination even among immortals, I am sorry Barney, you will get over it someday, I don't care what she is to you, Gwen must die tonight." Carol said with hate in her voice.

Two of the men with Carol took out their automatic weapons and fired them at Gwen, Barney stepped in the line of fire and was grazed in the shoulder, but Gwen body was riddled with bullets and she fell on the beach bleeding onto sand. All Connor on the hill could hear was Barney cry's of pain and weeping and cursing at watching the women who raised him die in front of his eyes. Barney had never seen Gwen die right in front of him before and then Carol and her partners came over and tied up Gwen's broken and bloody body, and told him to stop whining she wasn't really dead, but Barney couldn't stop cursing Carol's name.

The Highlander had seen quite enough and decided to take some action for himself seeing that the watchers still weren't there and Methos had disappeared in to the woods, somebody had to do something, so it appeared to him he was the only one around to help.

End chapter 11

**Chapter 12 - It****'****s a Kind of Magic**

**Please leave some feed back any writer always need critiques your thoughts matters to me, I want to be a better writer so please feel free to leave a comment. **

**Fanlass**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: Highlander is the property of Davis-Panzer Productions. Gwen MacQueen and her assorted bunch of sidekicks are mine. **

**I want to thank my Beta reader R.J. Bingham. Please go and read R.J. Bingham's Fan-fictions, they are all well written and very enjoyable. You can find him under my favorite Authors. **

Chapter 12

**It's a Kind of Magic**

Connor MacLeod climbed down from the hillside he could still hear the commotion below and Barney screaming and cursing out his wife for what she had done. As he got closer he felt the buzz of an immortal and expected to see Simon Willis but found Methos instead, his sword drawn and observing the drama before them. "Quiet Highlander, I think they are waiting until Simon Willis gets here to kill her, he wants her quickening." Methos softly whispered.

"So you got a plan oh great manipulator, you must have some brainwave, since to all intents and purposes you are the master mind brought here to solve this situation, or Methos are you by chance just ad-libbing it?" Connor said to Methos with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Maybe if I took your head it would cause enough of a distraction so the watchers would be able to get here and save Gwennie, now if you don't have something positive to add just shut up Highlander." Methos said with obvious distress in his voice.

"Methos please let's work together, we both want the same thing here, if they are waiting for Simon Willis I suggest we go find him and detain him."

"I think that's the first intelligent thing you said all night, I wish it was Duncan here instead of you, we work so much better together. So Highlander you got a plan?"

"Yea" and whith that Connor smiled with his big familiar smile, "Hey you worry too much old man. I think I see those watcher friends of yours over stage right, and if we circle around I think we can find that Simon Willis you been talking about. Hey Methos I think you have forgotten that it's a kind of magic, which we all have, so why don't we try using some of it?"

"Well I could use a bit of that magic right now." Methos said to Connor. "I will go to the right and you go to the left and I think we'll meet with him in the middle between us Ok?"

Meanwhile Joe Dawson and his group were catching up with the renegade watchers. Shots rang out in the darkness and lines were drawn between the two groups. Carol then turned her gun on her husband Barney and told him to pick up Gwen's lifeless body and carry it up the beach away from the gun shots. Carol made sure she picked up Gwen's sword in her other hand. Barney did as she said partly because she was holding the gun and partly because he wanted to flee the others and isolate himself, Gwen and Carol from the renegade watchers. Perhaps then he could free Gwen and figure out a way to escape this nightmare.

Barney shoulder was on fire with pain, but he figured he was only grazed, because the bleeding wasn't too bad. Carol seemed preoccupied with the gun battle raging further down the beach, so Barney took the opportunity to take Gwen's knife from her arm and cut away the ropes Carol's men had bound her with. Carol seemed not to notice and since Gwen was so light anyway he tried to keep her in the same position she was in when she was tied up. Barney was unnerved by the fact Gwen wasn't breathing and didn't know how long she might remain in this state. When they reached the wood at the end of the beach front, he carefully put Gwen down on her back so that Carol wouldn't know the bonds where all severed, besides in just the moonlight and with the bonfire so far away they could only see shadows. Barney placed the knife in the arm of his coat and turned to his wife to try once again to reason with her.

"Carol, this is madness, please stop, I have been grazed in the shoulder, who knows who is dead back by the bonfire, give me your gun and toss away Gwen's sword so we can end this right now. Gwen is leaving the country anyway, can't you salvage something we had." Barney pleaded.

"No, Barney Gwen must die; you don't even know your real name, do you? Just the name she gave you, or who your real parents were, don't you care about that?" Carol answered him.

"No I don't care, I had a wonderful childhood, and she did everything a mother could do for me, except give birth to me, it doesn't matter I have a full life, can't you just accept that Carol, I don't understand this vendetta you have against her."

"She's not human Barney, really none of them are, they are an abomination, and if they are allowed to play their game to its finality these creatures will rule mankind and we will be their slaves."

"Carol just please give me the sword and the gun, you know me, I love you, I am your husband, I will get you help, please honey this madness has to stop."

Carol saw the honesty in her husband's eyes, she remembered the love she had for him and reluctantly she dropped the sword and handed Barney they gun. Carol and Barney hugged, and Barney told her it would be ok, she looked up at him and shook her head as if to say no, then without warning, Carol screamed in pain, Barney looked up and saw Gwen on her feet with her sword in her hand, she had just stabbed Carol in the Back.

Barney yelled "No! Gwen what have you done! She gave up!" Barney laid Carol on the beach and held her in his arms, but there was little he could do to stop her from dying. He Glared at Gwen and said WHY?"

"Barney she would have killed me sooner or later, she might have killed you, I am not sorry for what I did, and I will not ask you to forgive me." Gwen said to the son she had raised.

"Get away from me Gwen, you killed my wife, she was giving up. Get out of here and I don't think I ever want to see you again." Barney cried, "Gwen Get out of here before I uses this gun on you myself, now go away!"

Gwen ran into the woods, with tears streaming from her eyes, what had she just done? At the time it seemed the right thing to do, maybe her sense of judgment had been warped when Carol's men shot her full of bullets right in front of Barney, all Gwen could feel for Carol was hate and revenge. She should have thought more about how it affected Barney, but what was done was done. Gwen was still not feeling up to herself with her mind racing and her emotions raw, when she felt a buzz. Looking around in the moonlight she saw the figure of a man she couldn't recognize and he announced his name to her as Simon Willis.

Just as Gwen raised her sword she felt another stronger familiar Buzz, and she looked up to see Methos standing there also raising his sword. Then they all felt another buzz as they saw Connor join the group.

Simon Willis said. "I have come for Gwen MacQueen, who are you both?"

"I am Connor MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod, and will be happy to take your head tonight."

"I am Adam Pierson, and I claim the right to fight you, so ignore the Highlander over there he is just looking for target practice and really it would not be a fair fight at all."

Gwen looked at her two protectors, "Gentlemen I can fight my own battles, and I can dispatch Mr. Simon Willis myself thank you anyway."

"Gwen what happened with Carol and Barney?" Connor asked

"I killed Carol and I doubt Barney is willing to forgive me, it had to be done, she would have never stopped coming after me and I had to get my revenge for what she did to Michelle, killing her in cold blood. But Barney's very upset with me, I doubt he will ever forgive me." Gwen choked on her words, and still had tears in her eyes.

Methos walked over to her and embraced her as to comfort her then without warning he ran her through with his broad sword and she fell on the ground dead. "Now you have to fight one of us, she's out of contention for this match. Pick carefully Mr. Willis."

Connor gave Methos a deadly look and just shook his head at Methos. "You didn't have to do that."

"Connor you wanted her to fight him?" Methos shot back.

"No."

"How about you two fight each other and I just leave? I see there is no love lost between you." Simon Willis said.

"Sorry that's not an option at the moment, maybe I take his head later, but we have you on our dance ticket right now." Connor smiled.

"How do I know that if I win the other one won't take my head when I'm down from the quickening?" Simon Willis asked the two immortals before him.

"You don't." Answered both of them almost in unison.

"Except I really don't like Pierson very much." so if you kill him and leave Gwen alone I doubt I'd do anything to you." The Highlander smiled.

"Thanks so much Highlander, but I think the same goes here I am not crazy about you either, His kinsman is a much more honorable guy, and easier to predict too, this MacLeod is crazy and a bit unstable I'd say."

"I could just leave." Simon Willis said.

"No." Connor replied, "We could draw straws?"

"Connor, please just step aside, the women is really mine, I am sorry for your unrequited love but I saw her first and you do have a wife now, and as you pointed out to me earlier I have loved her for thousands of years so I believe I get the challenge. If you don't mind Highlander, please step aside?" Methos bowed swishing his sword to one side.

"Sure then if you lose I take Willis head and Gwen too, it's a win, win, situation for me, go right ahead knock yourself out old man." Connor smiled at the two men who were about to fight, but first Connor went and picked up Gwen and took her over to the edge of the clearing where they were standing.

The fight didn't last long but the quickening was grand, and since the immortals were on top of the hill everyone on the beach had a good view of the quickening. Gwen began to stir again, just as the last of the lighting was fading from the sky. Connor held her in his arms and was tempted to go take Methos's head while he was vulnerable but with Gwen awakening he knew she would not forgive him so he just gave Methos a long hard look.

"Damn you Methos I could have taken him easily." Gwen angrily told him.

"Perhaps but I didn't want to take any chances, you had a rough night." Methos replied. "Connor can you stay with her and keep her out of trouble, according to the plan everyone must think she is dead, I have to go check on the watchers, if that's ok with you Highlander."

"I am not still your student or your slave girl, why you think you can tell me what to do Methos? I have been running my own life for the past almost ninety years without your interference, now we're back to the same old pattern, you master me slave." Gwen angrily bereted him with her words.

Methos walked over to Gwen and scooped her up in to his arms, then looking deep into her eyes he said "I will always be your master, just as I will always be your slave, we share a bond that neither of us can break." Then he kissed her hard and passionately. Connor looked at the two of them in the moonlight embracing and he thought if only one day he could find a love as deep as these two shared he would never trash it or throw it away and what a fool Methos was for not running off with her right now for a couple of life times. After what seemed forever but was only a few moments, Methos broke the embrace put her down and told her to stay put. Then he disappeared into the woods to find the watchers.

"You really love that cold hearted bastard Methos don't you Gwen?"

"I am sorry if I don't live up to your high standards Connor but we have a lot of history, and yes I really love him. I know I shouldn't, he has broken my heart more times than I can remember but there is just something between us, he taught me to trust again, he rescued me from the pit of despair, he taught me to like myself again and dared to treat me as an equal in an age when women were just slaves and property." Gwen smiled at Connor and kissed him on the cheek. "Connor life in 2100 BC was very different than it is today; the world has changed a lot, women are viewed so differently now, they have made so much progress."

"I know Gwen so now is a good time to give up the past and have a new future, look for a mortal man to love, take a husband and give up that two faced Methos before he hurts you again." Connor tried to convince Gwen.

"Connor mortal men have done nothing but hurt me, but Methos was the first to put a sword in my hand and teach me how to use it. He also taught me that if I didn't learn to grow beyond my own limitations I would die. He taught me that no mystic magic I had could save me in the long run if I did not learn to look beyond who I was or what I was. Why do you think there are so few immortal women over a few hundred years old? They either found an immortal man to protect them or they changed their attitude and grew beyond their female programming, and just accepted themselves as just another immortal."

"I understand what you are saying Gwen but, but still think about what I am saying, being with a mortal isn't like being with one of us. They have a time expiration date, we don't. I know in time my wife will die, our love is more intense and more special than something you and I could ever share. Gwen you have loved Methos so long I think you forgot love is also about sacrifice, and loss two things two immortal as strong as you and Methos have never dealt with on a daily bases in your relationship. Mortal love deals with this all the time, but I know you and Methos keep yourselves just out of reach of mortal lives, if you can, because I am sure you already decided that path hurts too much."

"Connor your wrong, not Methos, just last November, he married a woman who had less than a year to live, and according to Joe fell deeply in love with her, he opened himself up to a whole new world of pain and grief. She died in March only weeks ago." Gwen sadly told Connor. "And now he came here not to help me but to have his friend Joe help him deal with that grief, and what happens I show up. Next thing Methos and I are taking off right were we left off last time I saw him, and I all but forgot he is mourning his wife, you think he is the evil one Connor, but it's really me."

"Gwen you're not evil, stop talking like that, but I think you get my point that a relationship with a mortal is totally different, and after 4500 years woman you should try one again. Whatever pain some men caused you is in the past, get over it, and I think there is a mortal man out there you have mentioned more than once who is the one to give it a try with." Connor smiled.

"You're talking about Joe right?" Gwen said as Connor nodded. "Connor forget what Methos said lets go find out if Joe is really OK, will you come with me?"

"Yea sounds like a plan to me" Connor said as they walked in to the woods.

End Chapter 12

**Chapter 13- Friends with Benefits**

**Please leave some feed back any writer always need critiques your thoughts matters to me, I want to be a better writer so please feel free to leave a comment. Fanlass**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: Highlander is the property of Davis-Panzer Productions. Gwen MacQueen and her assorted bunch of sidekicks are mine. **

**I want to thank my beta reader R.J. Bingham. Please go and read R.J. Bingham's Fan-fiction, they are all well written and very enjoyable. **

**Also please go to methosbasement a site where RJ and I will be publishing humors co-written stories about Methos and all of his friends from Highlander. ****Coming Soon – T****he ****Doppelgänger Returns**

**Chapter 13**

**Friends with Benefits**

Connor Macleod and Gwen walked towards the beach, Barney was gone but there was still activity at the far end where the bonfire had been. Now there were flashing red lights and Gwen could make out noises of ambulances and policemen putting up crime scene tape and finishing their reports and interviews. Gwen sat on a rock near the edge of the woods knowing not to go any further. She told Connor to go ahead and find out what he could and she would stay there, no use getting involved with the police. Gwen MacQueen was accused of at least three murders and guilty of one, so she knew her life as Gwen MacQueen was officially over. She heard the waves lap onto the shore and watched the moonlight dance on the waves of the lake, had it only been a year since she had been to Seacouver before. Gwen was engrossed with watching the lake she didn't even see a man with a cane walk up to her and tap her on the shoulder.

"Gwen, Methos told me you were alive, glad to see you are ok." Joe said as she shot up in surprise then gave Joe the biggest hug he had been given in a long time.

"Joe. You are ok I was so worried, I heard the gun fight, and Methos and Connor wouldn't let me go see what had happened to anyone."

"Oh I am ok, but it's thanks to your buddy Luke, I was almost shot right in the old ticker, but he jumped in front of me and took the bullet. He wasn't afraid either I guess you let him in on a secret tonight, you shouldn't have. Funny thing is he didn't die, just he hurts like hell but the doctor says he will recover. He told me in the ambulance what you said, is it true or were you just setting him up to save my life?" Joe said as he took a step away from Gwen.

Gwen took a deep breath, and then said. "It's true Joe, Luke will be one of us as long as he dies a violent death. Then again maybe he'll die of old age, one never knows so it's an unwritten rule we do not tell pre-immortals their fate. I did break that rule, knowing he might just save your life if he had the chance. I am not sorry I told him, if you had died you were not coming back again, and I want you to stick around as long as you can, so I stacked the deck in your favor, so come on sue me."

"Gwen, now Luke has to live with knowledge he could become am immortal which would end his life in the watchers, and you did it just in case I needed an immortal body guard? What were you thinking?" Joe said as he reached out and grasped her arm in anger.

"I was thinking of you Joe, and that I don't want to lose you. Ye, I know I hurt you last year, and know we decided we shouldn't get involved, even though I really don't understand why, I still wanted to know you were going to be safe and if I had to stack the deck to do it, well I'm not sorry I did, I wouldn't change anything. Joe can't we at least stay friends? I'd rather that we were friends with benefits but for your sake I'll take just friends, damn it I'll take anything I can right now. You are the only mortal man I trust and for once in my life I would give up my immortality if we could just have an ordinary life together." Gwen pleaded with him.

"Gwen we both know that isn't possible, But what about Methos would you be willing to give him up too? I don't see that on the cards, and you have to leave Seacouver and go away and start a new life. It looks like Methos's plan will work. All the watchers, except me Luke and Adam, think you're dead, so your watcher free, for now on. Did you really say friends with Benefits?" Joe gasped. "What am I going to do with you? Really Gwen I don't know what life was like in the BC days but it's the twenty first century and men and women who care about one another can just remain friends without getting physically involved. Anyway people would say you're my daughter, we just wouldn't work, we have already talked about this and sometimes I think you're a crazy woman, but it's a hell of a thought. Friends with benefits" Joe smiled.

Gwen stepped next to him and put her arms around his neck and kissed him, Joe was slightly surprised but his body had no problem responding to the kiss and he put his arms around her. This might have continued for some time if Methos and Connor had not walked up and started commenting on the couple.

Connor said "Good girl Gwen go for it, I told you what you need is a mortal man."

"Highlander, don't encourage her, she has no idea what she needs, and I know it's not Joe Dawson, Gwennie stop kissing him right now!" Methos said as he walked towards her, but Connor tackled Methos who was shaking his head no and before anyone knew it he and Methos were wrestling in the sand.

Gwen and Joe looked up and started laughing seeing the two immortals wrestling, they both knew it was about their kiss, but it was still funny. Joe looked in Gwen's eyes and said "Connor and Luke told me that Methos said you were still acting like a child holding on to a dream that was smashed thousands of years ago and you had no comprehension of what the word love meant. According to what they said Methos would not let you hurt me, like you had hurt so many other men who have dared to love you. Well honey Methos is wrong. I believe your problem isn't with you, it's the fact you haven't met any real adult men who comprehend what the word love really means. And it doesn't mean hot sex either. Gwen we are friends, now and forever, and maybe someday we can be more than friends, we can be friends with benefits but not right now. It's not that I don't have feelings for you baby, because I do, it's just….." he paused still watching Methos and Connor's wrestling match, "things in both our life's are a bit too complicated and us in a relationship wouldn't't help make it any less complex. If things ever change well you know where to find me. Methos is still my friend and I have never let a women come between me and a friend, even if we are both in love with the same women."

"Joe you are far too noble, Methos would never be that noble, but I am trying to understand what you are telling me, so we can keep in touch as friends?" Gwen asked.

"I will always be your friend Gwen, but could you do me a favor and break up this wrestling match before it comes to swords in the sand." Joe laughed.

Gwen ran over to Methos and Connor who had seemed to have forgotten all about Joe and Gwen and were busy in their manly test of endurance. She jumped in between then and got a punch in the face. Only then did they come back to reality and stop, Methos and Connor both claimed victory and both tried to help, Gwen up off the sand.

Joe stepped in and said "Adam dust yourself off and we better go down to the hospital and check on Luke, Bill and Mike since they were all shot. Maybe you can talk to Barney too he is in a bad way. Carol is dead and he thinks Gwen is dead too. There are also reports we need to file to HQ. Two of the renegade watchers are in Jail, on assault, weapons and murder charges, it's a fine mess. I need you with me Pronto, and you have to get Gwen out of the Country before the shit hits the papers, so it's going to be a long night." Joe gave Gwen a soft kiss on her cheek and started walking towards his car never looking back.

Methos dusted the sand off himself and looked through his wallet for his electric room card key, handed it to Gwennie. Then he tossed Connor his keys to his Jimmy and asked Connor to drive Gwennie to the Radisson and said that Gwennie should wait for him there. Methos had her new passport and papers and other stuff she'd need for her new life at his hotel room. Methos gave Gwennie a quick kiss on the check also and was off with Joe.

Connor and Gwen were left alone in the dark, looking at the lake and taking about everything that had happened tonight. Connor spoke first "Gwen why don't we just go to Bora Bora for a couple of weeks, my wife will keep shopping as long as the credit cards hold out."

"What is this crazy fascination with Bora Bora? I have never been there but it seems to be top on every ones list of quick getaway destinations? No, Connor I am turning over a new leaf and just going to be a good girl for once and do as I am told. In the morning I'll be leaving the country. You know I would love to hold up in some hotel with you for a week or two, remember when we did in Vermont back in 1975, we skied all day and made love all night, it was fantastic. But your married now and I think you should get to LA and make sure you have some money left to pay for your children's educations. As a personal favor could you be there for Barney too, it's going to be rough for him."

"Do me a favor and get your own room, Methos says he's going to just manipulate you to make sure you will go away, he's a double talking son of a bitch and I don't like him." Connor exclaimed.

"Connor I'll be OK trust me I've been thought the Kiss and dump with Methos before. I know he's a control freak, I'll be fine, all I want is a shower and some rest. Connor I've only known the guy over 2000 years I think I have seen every card he has in his deck. I'll be OK what new things can he do to me that he hasn't tried before?" she said as the reached the Jimmy and drove to Seacouver.

When Connor reached the Radisson he dropped Gwen at the door, and kissed her goodbye, she promised him that as soon as she was settled she would have John come for a holiday to New Zealand and when the time came she would be his teacher. Connor didn't want to let her go but he never was any good at talking Gwen out of something she had already made her mind up on. So with a last wave good bye he drove to Duncan's Loft and finally fell asleep. Connor had nothing but nightmares that night and got up early to catch a red eye to LA and back to his wife and children. He still couldn't shake off worrying about Gwen and what that cold hearted bastard Methos was planning to do to her in order to make sure Gwen left her life in LA forever.

Gwen went up to the penthouse; Methos wasn't there so she took a shower and crawled naked in to the king size bed for some much needed sleep. A few hours later she awoke with the buzz of another Immortal. Grasping her sword that she kept besides the bed, she got up and wrapped a bed sheet around herself and prepared to fight. But then the smell of lilacs filled the room and she saw the time, it read 3:00 AM and there stood Methos holding a vase filled to over flowing of white lilacs. Gwennie smiled and dropped her sword, and said "thank you Methos you remembered, my favorite flowers, where did you get them?"

"Joe grows then at his house and I picked then just for you." Methos said as he brought them over for her and she inhaled the flower fragrance, and smiled. "It late and it's been a long night get back in the that bed woman, I'm cold and need you to warm me up."

"Methos I'm a bit scared, it's been a while since I did the whole change identity thing, and I'm not sure about this" Gwen said with doubt in her voice.

"Well I got you the perfect identity and you will love the name, Gwendolyn McDermott Adams, she was reported missing lost at sea a little less than a year ago, killed on vacation with her whole family on a party boat. Her Mother Whitney Ann McDermott was born in New Zealand so Gwendolyn had a dual citizenship. Because Whitney McDermott married an American her father disowned her and she never went back home. Actually the old man McDermott, refused to sell out to the developers and owned a small farm in Woolleys Bay, it's about fifty acres in all. When he died about two years ago he left it to his granddaughter. I have seen pictures of the location and it will be perfect for you and I already have a contractor who has dug out and set the foundation of the house at Woolleys Bay. You can get an architect and finish the house, just the way you want it. It's secluded, yet not too far from the large city of Whangarel, where I already rented a building for you to house a travel and tourist business in. Whangarel has many things to do and is fast becoming a tourist destination and is near the Great Barrier Reef too." Methos said excitedly.

"But Methos if this Woman died only a year ago, there must be pictures of her, and they can identify her, I doubt this is going to work?"

"Well in the folder in the table I include my complete dossier on her and a photo. She's as close to your twin as anyone could find, I think we lucked out on this one, it must have been karma, she was just over 5'2" ok just a tad taller than you, but no big problem there, red hair and brown eyes, light skin, good figure, and even a cute nose. Not as cute as yours but close enough to get by passport photos. We need some identity that really works especially when Gwen MacQueen's photos will be all over the front page of tomorrow's paper. It's tight but with your new haircut and a little make up I know you can pull it off." Methos smiled at her "Now just promise me you'll stay out of America for at least 15 or 20 years"

"I can't do that, what about Seacouver and seeing Joe?"

"NO, Gwennie you will be off the watchers radar, and you know how many immortals are in northern New Zealand?" Methos stated. "Three and they all are big cities, lots in Australia so stay away from Sydney. Hell I am tempted to live there, there's no snow, beautiful weather and a beach just outside your back door." Methos put the flowers on the night stand, and went over and held Gwennie's hands, then looking in to her eyes continued "I planted a story that Gwendolyn McDermott Adams, had amnesia, and was being treated in a clinic over here. She just recovered her memory and is returning to her mother's homeland, because it's too painful to go back and face life after the death of her entire family in Georgia. I discovered her, when the original article about her death appeared, last year and filed it, as a just in case you need a new identity. Are you proud of me Gwennie, isn't it perfect?" Methos smiled like a Cheshire cat.

"You mean after you left me last year, you found this obituary and filed it away for me just in case I need a new identity? Well I guess I am flattered, but maybe you wanted me away from Seacouver and Joe." Gwen said.

"Are your asking me if I have ulterior motives, I think you know me well enough I really don't have to answer that question. Gwennie please I am trying to help you, just for once let me do something for you without you giving me the third degree. Just accept this gift I have given you and don't ask what ulterior motives I have just this time please. Anyway Gwen MacQueen is Dead, so take this or you're on your own I quit." Methos put his hands on his face and bowed and shook his head as if in defeat.

Gwennie reached up and touched his forehead, and ran her fingers through his hair, then put her arms around his neck, "you win, I submit to my master, oh great and wise Methos, your every command is mine to obey, I am but your slave, do unto me as you will."

He looked into her eyes and unwrapped the bed sheet she was wearing, and then picking her up in to his arms he said. "Now that's more like it hush now, it's late let us get some rest we can finish our talk on the way to the airport in the morning, right now I can think of a more urgent matter, I wish you to submit to." Methos smiled then he kissed her.

He carried Gwennie to the bed the then placing her down he quickly undressed and climbed in beside her and pulled up the blankets. Then Methos held Gwennie's body next to his and the magic they always had felt for one another began to rise up again and fill their hearts with the joy of just being together. It was as if all the years they had spent apart just melted away and they were transported back to a time long ago when their love was new and they were just a man and a women back in that barn in some unnamed town, making love with the same passion they had the first time they were together.

**End chapter 13 **

**Chapter 14 - Lies, Goodbye's, and Kronos **

**Please end in comments and reviews.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: Highlander is the property of Davis-Panzer Productions. Gwen MacQueen and her sidekicks are mine. Special thanks go out to my beta reader RJBingham. He passed away in 2012 and is missed.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 14<strong>

**Lies, Goodbye's, and Kronos**

Methos and Gwennie were leaving the Radisson and packing her luggage in to his Jimmy SUV to drive Gwen to the airport. He looked at her and said, "It's over, now we must get back to our lives, me as a watcher and you Gwennie must go to New Zealand and to your new life, and do you really need all this luggage? Is this just you trying to make up for not having anything for your first 500 years woman?"

"No Methos I need all this stuff honestly, it's just hard to leave every one behind, knowing I might never see them again especially Barney and Joe." Gwen said as she sat in the passenger seat, and checked her airline tickets and read the papers Methos had prepared for her on her new identity.

"Gwennie, this isn't the first time you had to leave a life before, it not like you are not prepared and you have money put aside, a plan, and frankly New Zealand sounds like a beautiful place, I don't understand why you're putting up such a fuss." Methos replied as they drove away.

They sat quietly for most of the trip and finally as they neared the airport Gwen asked. "Are you still meeting me at the Parthenon in the year 2010 for the spring solstice?"

"NO" Methos answered flatly "Gwennie what we had in the past has been wild and wonderful but it was in the past and both of us should have left it there. I knew when you went off with Darius you were leaving me, and I was tired of watching you defy me and walk away from me especially when I told you not to go. Frankly Gwennie it should have been over centuries before that. I guess you became more of a habit or addiction and I have to break it now or this madness will go on forever." Methos pulled in a parking space near the drop off door and looked into her eyes and summoning up all his willpower to keep his mind clear on his objective, to tell Gwennie what he had planned to and this time make her believe it, so he would drive her away for good this time. It was the only logical thing to do, so he could go back to his safe hiding place and she could start a new life free of their never ending on again off again romance.

"So I am just an old habit an addiction, last night you didn't act that way, do you think I use my mystic powers to control your feelings too, Methos, force you to love me?" She asked him.

"No your mystic powers never seemed to affect me, but you have to understand something I do not love you Gwennie, I loved Alexa, with all my heart, and mourn her every day, but I doubt I ever loved you. I felt sorry for you, and I was always drawn to a damsel in distress." He stated back at her.

"You felt sorry for me! Methos I think there was more to our relationship than pity, you always wanted me as much as I wanted you." Gwennie said with passion in her voice.

"Well if you are talking about chemistry, what man could resist the chemistry we have always had, frankly I have always been caught up in the moments of raw unbridled lust that we share, but Gwennie when you look at it in the harsh light of day you have to admit it was more lust than love. I don't blame either of us, we are immortals and can't escape the fact mere human lovers, and however much we care for them cannot carry on the lust to the crescendo that immortals that are thousands of years old can achieve. Let's us not forget that lust inspires danger too; the danger that at any time the tables could turn and we could meet in battle. How could I really love another immortal, I might have to meet in battle some day? I want to live, if I truly loved you I might slip up and lose. You know me Gwennie; you know it's true, above all things I want to survive." Methos eyes screamed out calmness and showed no passion in them.

Gwennie pleaded. "Don't say this Methos, all the centuries we spent together."

Methos interrupted her "Were a lie, you wanted to believe we were in love, maybe sometimes I wanted to believe it too but deep in our hearts we knew we were nothing but a farce. Our whole affair has been nothing more than ludicrousness, ridiculousness, and self-indulgence. Anyway you lusted after many other immortals and never claimed to love them. Our affair was really no different, it's just we went on longer than we should have. OK there was one thing I can say was different about us, after making love thousands of times it felt familiar and comfortable so we lied to each other and pretended to be in love. Gwennie we have to stop lying to our selves, it's over and it's really for the best that we both start anew with your move." Methos said as he started to get Gwen's luggage out of the Jimmy.

"Methos why do you speak to me this way now, when just last night we held each other in our arms and made love like it was the first time. If it is so familiar and comfortable why is each time almost like the first, filled with excitement, tenderness, and pure joy? I do not understand, last night you said you loved me." she looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"I was your Master, you were my slave, I took advantage of that relationship, and don't you remember that in the beginning I promised you I would not be your lover or take you to my bed. But when you were the most vulnerable I did just that. Hell you were my student for only about three months before I look you as a lover, Gwennie you were a whore you knew no other way to relate to a man, don't you think I knew that. I won your trust and took you to my bed as my own. I knew it was wrong, but I didn't care, it was never about love, you just thought it was and because I wanted you so badly, I let you believe it. I am sorry, but you have to realize you were not the only immortal women I did it to. It's just you stuck around longer than anyone else." Methos had never told Gwennie about Cassandra, or the other women he took captive while he was one of the horsemen. He gritted his teeth and hoped that Gwennie would not see through his pain at telling her this, but was it a lie or simply the truth Methos had hidden even from himself. Sometimes you tell so many lies it's hard to tell if any of them were real or not.

"So this is the way you want to leave it, I am still the whore with the heart of gold, who believes in something that never really happened." She looked down as she gathered up her things.

"I wouldn't have put it that way necessarily, but essentially yes, Gwennie don't forget you're a witch with mystic powers too who can cast spells and control mortal men's minds. Besides you're a very strong capable immortal with a skilled sword arm that doses what she has to, survive. You will be fine. Take heart your starting a new beginning and with any new beginning there can be great adventures. Gwennie love is overrated anyway, when it is gone it leaves us with nothing but sadness and pain so let us leave love for the romantics and poets shall we?"

"Then it is really Good-bye Methos, don't worry I will get my luggage to the gate myself, thanks for the ride, I guess I am glad we had this talk. You can go slip back into your world of watchers again and I will go on alone as I always have done." Gwen said as she found a cart to load her luggage on so she could make a swift exit away from her ex-lover. Methos went to give her a hug but she stepped back away from him.

"Gwennie it wasn't all bad and you have to admit we did have a lot of fun, and lots of good times. I should say thanks for the memories." Methos said as he smiled at her.

"No Methos, let's just say goodbye, we never have said that to each other before. Live, Grow strong, and fight another day, and above all survive because that's what you do best." Gwennie paused and said, "Right, you always survive don't you?" And with that Gwen turned and walked away to the airport door. She didn't want Methos to see her tears, or hear her sobs and questions of self-doubt, because the most important relationship in her entire life had just ended.

Methos got back in his Jimmy and bowed his head and as soon as he was sure she was gone his emotion broke open raw and strong. He too sobbed for the pain he felt at the fact he had pushed away the only immortal women he had ever truly loved. Methos himself was confused by his own speech and wondered just how much of their relationship was real and how much was simply a sweet lie he told himself. After a few moments he started up the car and gathered his thoughts, he would try to put this all behind him and try to forget these past few days, as he drove back to the Radisson to pick up his things to return to Paris.

As he got ready to leave his suite Methos stopped and picked up the vase of fresh lilacs he had brought to Gwennie last night after that crazy battle between the watchers and the renegades was finally over. Methos inhaled the lilacs and their sweet aroma, closing his eyes and letting their smell trigger all the memories the flowers brought back to his mind. He thought of that field of wild flowers and the first time Gwennie put them in her hair and how last night she had kissed him so sweetly for bringing them to her, remembering how much she loved lilacs. Methos could not think of anything else but the thought that only hours ago he had held Gwennie in his arms and made love to her. Then Methos threw the vase as hard as he could across the room smashing it into the wall shattering the glass and spilling out the flowers and water all over the hotel wallpaper and rug.

He pick up his luggage and never looked back, walking out of the room leaving the sweet smell of Gwennie's flower behind, and all he could think of was how he had just completely made a mess of things and ended the longest relationship he had with anyone in his whole life. Methos became conscious of the fact he had just trashed the only women alive who, when he was with her always made him like himself better and made him feel less tarnished by some of his past actions. Because Gwennie only saw the best in him through her rose colored glasses, and not at all how the rest of the world saw him, the cynical, survivor, who put his life above all else. Never again would he be able to smell lilacs, without regretting how badly he treated her today.

Later that day…

It was a long flight to New Zealand and there was a long layover in Greece. Gwen had stopped in an Airport Lounge for a drink in-between fights and she felt a Buzz. She looks around and saw a man with a short haircut and a scar on the right side of his face approaching her. Their eyes meet and a flood of memories hit her mind, as he took a seat next to her and said "Gwennosa, it's been such a long time. I heard rumors you were alive."

"It hasn't been long enough for me Kronos." Gwen said back to him. "We are in a crowed bar, I think it would be best for you to just leave."

"Now it's just us two here, is it that difficult to talk to your husband? You do still remember back when we had a life together and you could call me by my real name."

"Cron, my good General Cron and I believe that marriage contract ended at to death do us part, and you continued to kill me until you got tired of doing it, was it just to see me beg you to stop. Maybe it was to see me come back to life and breathe your name again hoping it all was a dream and see the fear in my eyes." Gwen said flatly back at him as if it meant nothing to her.

"I wanted to see you breathe my name again, say my name again of course. But it wasn't because I stopped loving you; I was just confused and superstitious, I was still mortal and I just wish I knew then, what I know now. After I died and came back to life I remembered you and realized, we both were not demons but touched by the gods. My only regret was I hadn't turned Immortal first, then you would have remained my loving bride, always at my side and never would have taken up with Methos."

"If that is what you want to believe, keep your fantasy, I was young and innocent when I married you but you made sure I stayed that way until you found out I was immortal, then you made sure I lost all my innocence by turning me into a whore. What do you what Kronos, I have no wish to continue with this walk down memory lane, it's pointless, I hate you and that's the end of it. Remember the first time we met we decided never to talk about it again because if I did tell Methos, the horsemen would have split up right then and there. You knew Methos was my teacher and lover and would never accept that you were the General my dear husband from my former life, you two were friends then but not as close as Methos and I were at the time."

"I remember, and I agreed back then, I would spare your head for your silence. It was my choice to keep our alliance so I could keep Methos as my Brother, and you never told him either, and kept our bargain. But now I have heard other rumors too, rumors that Methos was also alive. Knowing you both couldn't ever keep your hands off each other, I thought if anyone knows where he is it's you Gwennosa. Just tell me where he is and I will leave and you will not hear from me again."

"I haven't seen Methos in over two thousand years. We split up, and it was finally over between us, as you know nothing can go on forever. I was caught in a tomb in Gaul from about 18 BC to 1938 and I too have searched for him but to no avail. Sorry, but I can't help you, and as I said, Methos and I had an argument and decided to go our separate ways before I left for Gaul in 18 BC. I took his student Darius with me to Gaul as my lover, he wasn't too happy about that either. So can't help you, now go away, even if I knew where he was, you know I wouldn't tell you Kronos."

"He never loved you like I did." Kronos said.

"Funny he never killed me either, but maybe in your perverted mind you think killing me was an act of love." Gwen said as she finished her drink.

"It was an act of love, it's not my fault you couldn't understand how hurt I was, you were a perversion of nature, I didn't understand. A funny thing happened on my way back Home to what the history books now call Minoa, I was killed on the roadside by thieves, and I never made it back. It wasn't until the Volcano destroyed the island that I thought of home again."

"We should have had this talk 4500 years ago, and you know it wouldn't have made any difference. You never came for me, you never loved me, and you let me rot in the life you decided that I deserved as punishment for the crime of being a perversion of nature." Gwen looked him the eye with defiance and pure hate.

"But Gwennosa, I did look for you, I went back to Mycenae were I left you and you were gone, I tried to trace you back to where they moved you but I always got there a day late, someone else had taken you to another place another brothel I looked all over Greece." Kronos said for the first time with true sincerity in his voice.

"Ok you got to visit many brothels, something I am sure you enjoyed." she shot back at him.

"Well I found out you could take care of yourself, for years I heard stories about a beautiful red-haired women, a slave and harlot, an immortal living in the brothels who was taking heads, and killing her masters, I was full of pride about you, so I stopped looking myself."

"Wonderful I am so glad you were proud of me." Gwen said sarcastically to Kronos.

"Gwennosa, it was I who told Methos about you, and he being as curious as he always was, went off following another immortal that had also heard of your story to a city near the Aegean Sea and found you, I just never thought the two of you would become attached to one another like you did. It was impossible to separate you from him as if you were like a bitch dog in heat, and he was your mate. I was wrong to send him." Kronos sighed. "Methos took you from me."

"No General you threw me away, like unwanted garbage." Gwen took a deep breath. "Are we done now, I have a plane to catch, I can't help you, I just want to go back to forgetting I ever knew you."

"Are you going to warn him that I am looking for him, I mean if you do happen across his path?" Kronos reached out and held Gwen's right hand hard in his grip.

"No, as I said we are over, Methos doesn't love me, you are his brother, and I made a promise never to step in-between you and him. My reward for keeping the secret you and I share is I can keep my head and you would never take Methos' head either. Remember Kronos I have always kept my promise to you, you must keep your promise to me." She said blankly to the man grasping her hand. "But I am a different person now than I was then I do not know what the outcome of a contest between us would be, I very well might win so let us not find out."

"I agree and you have always been a good girl." He smiled at her. "Are you sure we can't spend the night here, you always liked Greece and you were such a passionate women, I bet your experience as a whore only made you a better lover!"

Gwen sighed and looked into his eyes. "I am not your wife any longer; I am certainly not your whore. Let go of my hand or I will chop off that part of your body that you think is vital to your manhood. You do not love me either, and fixed it so no man ever could, so I am sure I have made your day by telling you that. Now good-bye Kronos and please do not darken my doorstep again. I will keep your secrets and you will keep mine, but that is as far as our alliance goes, as for you touching me you forfeited that right the day you sold me into slavery as a whore. Remember Kronos stay away from me unless you take Methos head then I will come for you and I will find you. I have improved since those days when you rode as a horseman and taken thousands of heads one of which could easily become yours if you cross me.'

With that Gwen pulled her hand away from him, got up and walked out of the bar. He did not follow her for Gwen knew she had said too much. Gwen went through security and customs and boarded her plane. Taking her seat in the first class section, she was still filled with emotion but hadn't cried, she waited until the plane was in the air, then she broke down and wept for what her life could have been, and the emptiness that Kronos had left her with. Gwen again for the first time in a long time could not shake the feeling especially after what Methos had said to her at the airport in Seacouver, that she was still that whore and even after 4500 years she was totally alone.

Gwen thought to herself *_I have to stop thinking like this! Look how many years I have lived, and most of the time who was there to take care of me? No one except myself, but still I survived, in fact I did better than that I prospered. So what if I will have to build a new life again? It's not the first time I've done this. Only this time I have plans, money and this time I will keep immortal men in the right perspective they belong, as rivals for the prize nothing more. *_ Gwen knew the first class stewardess would be coming around to get her lunch order soon; so Gwen took a pen and paper with the new letter head with the name of her new business on it and began to quickly write a letter.

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><p>Dear Joe,<p>

I am off to a new life in New Zealand running a new tourism and travel business. I will mostly be handling tours in Whangarel New Zealand, a town in the North Island. I will be taking tourist to the ocean, surfing, and surrounding countryside. Whangarel is a new emerging tourist destination.

Since we left it as friends I hope we can continue our relationship and be pen pals. I doubt a pen pal relationship with an immortal who the watchers think is dead would be a breach of any of your oaths, and you know I have always thought you were a special person. I am having a house built for me in Woolleys Bay, which is north of Whangarel, but it will not be ready for a several months.

I also have to learn to speak Ausie, since I haven't found a New Zealand dictionary yet and Australian is so close. I'll learn how to cook prawn (shrimp) on the Barbie. I have been looking into Ausie slang and here is what I found just for the A's

Ace! : -Excellent! Very good!

Aerial Ping-Pong: -Australian Rules football

Amber fluid: -beer

Ambo: -ambulance, ambulance driver

Ankle biter: -small child

Apples, she'll be:-It'll be all right

Arvo: - afternoon

Aussie (pron. Ozzie): Australian

Aussie salute:-brushing away flies withthe hand

Avos: -avocados

So Joe it should be an adventure, not quite as difficult as when Darius taught me modern languages but close. Well please write back to me, my new Business address is included on the letterhead of this correspondence and as soon as I am settled I'll send you my email. I hope you respond to this letter. To tell the truth besides Luke you are the only persons that I am keeping in touch with (I am no longer on speaking terms with Methos) so please consider being my pen pal. Hey I miss you, but please do not tell anyone we are writing. Can you please send me a CD of some of your songs so I can play them at night when I get lonely, I love your music and it always makes me smile. But don't worry, remember it'll be (Ace) and (apples, she'll be), and wishing you the best, take care of yourself.

Always yours - Gwen

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><p>Gwen placed the letter in the envelope, addressed it then tucked it in her briefcase and smiled to herself maybe it all wasn't so bad after all. There were thing to look forward too. A new life came with new adventures, which meant among other things new explorations, amusements, quests, frolics, gambles and thrills. Gwen would have a new student to teach, she had promised Luke that when the time did come she would be his first teacher. As much as she hated to admit it, yes, maybe Methos and Kronos had done her a favor after all, forcing her to look at the past in the harsh light of the truth, so she could finally file the past away like she should have so long ago. Gwen now told herself she would only look to the future from now on. Above all things she knew she was a survivor and would build some sort of happiness for herself again someday and if she was very very lucky that happiness just might include a certain bar owner, watcher, blues man.<p>

**The end**

**Next – **_**Love Down Under Style**_

_**Love Down Under Style**_** is the conclusion of the Methos, Joe, and Gwen stories. This story has it all, sword fights love senses, secrets revealed, flashbacks, plus a huge cast of all your favorite Immortals in it! Just imagine the Clan Macleod Wedding crashers! What really did happen to Cassandra after she left the horsemen camp? Please read the end of the Methos, Joe, and Gwen saga. It ends in a way you will never believe! Fun for every Highlander fan.**


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